Alexander Jannaeus issued more bronze prutot than any other Hasmonean ruler, and the sheer volume of that output created a practical problem: earlier coins of inferior or inconvenient types were simply overstruck rather than melted. On this piece, ghosted traces of the undertype survive beneath the new impression — a characteristic feature of the series that actually helps specialists reconstruct which earlier Hasmonean issues were still circulating during Jannaeus's reign.
Jannaeus ruled as both king and high priest, a dual authority that generated genuine unrest among his Pharisaic subjects. A six-year civil war during the 90s BC may explain certain irregular striking periods within this long coinage.
Alexander Jannaeus issued more bronze prutot than any other Hasmonean ruler, and the sheer volume of that output created a practical problem: earlier coins of inferior or inconvenient types were simply overstruck rather than melted. On this piece, ghosted traces of the undertype survive beneath the new impression — a characteristic feature of the series that actually helps specialists reconstruct which earlier Hasmonean issues were still circulating during Jannaeus's reign.
Jannaeus ruled as both king and high priest, a dual authority that generated genuine unrest among his Pharisaic subjects. A six-year civil war during the 90s BC may explain certain irregular striking periods within this long coinage.