5 Lirot 12th Anniversary of Independence - Theodore Herzl Centenary

Issued to mark both the 12th anniversary of Israeli independence and the centenary of Theodor Herzl's birth in 1860, this coin carries an unusual dual commemoration that reflects the young state's effort to anchor itself in Zionist ideological history. Herzl died in 1904 having never seen the state he campaigned for; Israel was declared 44 years later.

KM#29 was struck in the first decade of Israeli commemorative coinage, before the series became routine. Mintage was split across collector and circulation-quality strikes.