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8 Prutah - Mattatayah Antigonus
| Issuer | Judea |
|---|---|
| Year | 40 BC - 37 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 8 Prutah |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears a double cornucopia (cornucopiae) arranged symmetrically, adorned with ribbons, with a pomegranate visible between the horns of plenty — a characteristic Hasmonean motif. The Hebrew legend is inscribed in the field surrounding the central device, reading in multiple lines. The flan is irregular and the striking is somewhat off-center, typical of hammered Hasmonean bronze coinage of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field features a wreath, likely of ivy or laurel, encircling the field in the Hellenistic tradition associated with royal Seleucid-influenced coinage. The Greek legend ΒΑCΙΛΕΩC ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΟΥ is disposed around the periphery of the coin, referencing Antigonus II Mattathias in his capacity as king. The flan edges are irregular and the strike is moderately well-centered, consistent with the hand-hammered production technique of the late Hasmonean period. |
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| Additional information |
Antigonus II Mattathias was the last Hasmonean king, installed by the Parthians in 40 BC after they swept through Syria and Judea and briefly captured Jerusalem. His three-year reign was spent in continuous conflict with Herod, who had been simultaneously declared King of Judea by Rome — meaning two men held the same title at once, each backed by a rival superpower. When Roman legions under Sosius finally took Jerusalem in 37 BC, Antigonus was sent to Mark Antony, who had him beheaded — the first execution of a king by Roman decree in the eastern provinces.