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8 Prutah - Mattatayah Antigonus

Issuer Judea
Year 40 BC - 37 BC
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Shape Round (irregular)
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Obverse lettering מתתי הכהן הגדל חבר יד
(Translation: Mattatayah the High Priest and Council of the Jews)
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.

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