500 Pruta

Israel's first coinage series, issued in 1949, was struck at the Utrecht mint in the Netherlands — the fledgling state had no mint of its own and no time to build one. The 500 Pruta was the largest denomination in that inaugural set, and its .500 fine silver content reflected a compromise between symbolic weight and the economic realities of a government still fighting for its survival during the War of Independence.

Mintage was relatively low, and the piece saw little genuine circulation — most were absorbed by collectors and diaspora communities almost immediately upon release.