Coins of the First Jewish-Roman War

[LONGINUS]

The *IMPERIUM ROMANUM website that I’ve bookmarked and enjoy checking out periodically... 

...reminds me that Roman troops led by Titus Flavius occupied and plundered the temple in Jerusalem during the siege of the city on or about August 4th. This year I decided to upgrade one of my Judaean war coins (Hendin 6392) and post it on the anniversary of this tragic event, including several of my coins of the period.

*https://imperiumromanum.pl/en/that-day-in-rome/

 

 

Here also is my upgraded Judaean collection. 

I refer to this as my David Hendin collection because I enjoy using his Guides to Biblical Coins as a wish list and shopping guide 😊

 

 

Please feel free to post any of your upgrades, coins of the period, or

coins you may have been inspired to purchase by an ancient event.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by LONGINUS

[Roman Collector]

Absolutely gorgeous examples, @LONGINUS!! Those little Judean bronzes are VERY hard to acquire in such grades, especially if well-centered. My latest upgrade is this sestertius.

[Ocatarinetabellatchitchix]

What a nice display Ray, I love coins related directly to ancient historical events. Here is my latest update, the oldest one has a lot of corrosion that bothered me.

 

[John Conduitt]

Really nice. I don't have any from the first war because I'm waiting until one comes up that looks this good and I miraculously have the budget for it at the same time.

I do have one from the second revolt, though, and accidentally bought what I think is the corresponding Roman coin.

Simon Bar Kokhba Revolt, 132-133

Judaea. Bronze, 17.5mm, 5.92g. Grape bunch on tendril with branch and small vine leaf; שנת אחת לגאלת ישראל (year one of the redemption of Zion). Seven-branched palm tree with two bunches of dates; כ ה זנ רה א לע (ELAZAR HaKOHEN, Eleazar the Priest) (Meshorer 224).


Hadrian Denarius, 136

Rome. Silver, 3.05g. Laureate head right; HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P. Nemesis-Victory walking right, drawing out neck of robe and holding branch; VICTORIA AVG (RIC II.3, 2239). May have been issued after the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Nemesis-Victory is a warning to rebels. She spits on her chest to avert evil influences, and encourage self-restraint in victory.

[Al Kowsky]

9 hours ago, LONGINUS said:

The *IMPERIUM ROMANUM website that I’ve bookmarked and enjoy checking out periodically... 

...reminds me that Roman troops led by Titus Flavius occupied and plundered the temple in Jerusalem during the siege of the city on or about August 4th. This year I decided to upgrade one of my Judaean war coins (Hendin 6392) and post it on the anniversary of this tragic event, including several of my coins of the period.

*https://imperiumromanum.pl/en/that-day-in-rome/

 

 

Here also is my upgraded Judaean collection. 

I refer to this as my David Hendin collection because I enjoy using his Guides to Biblical Coins as a wish list and shopping guide 😊

 

 

Please feel free to post any of your upgrades, coins of the period, or

coins you may have been inspired to purchase by an ancient event.

 

 

 

 

D. Ray, It's always a treat looking at your display of Jewish coins 🤩! You are a numismatist extraordinaire ☺️. Pictured below is the first Jewish War shekel, a Year 3 issue, I added to my collection, & below it is the upgrade I added years later. I ended up auctioning both coins & focused on my collection of Roman provincial tetradrachms. The first shekel was poorly struck & had plenty of "horn silver" on it, that's why I eventually upgraded to the Year 2 shekel. 

[Marsyas Mike]

Great post and terrific collection of Judaean AEs you have there @LONGINUS

From the other side comes a couple of big tetradrachms issued around the time of the Jewish Revolt.  

Vespasian and Titus:

Vespasian/Titus   Tetradrachm Syria, Seleucis & Pieria Antiochia ad Orontem Group 2; Year 2 (69-70 A.D.) ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤ ΚΑΙΣΑ ΟΥΕΣΠΑΣΙΑΝΟΥ, laureate head of Vespasian right / (Τ) ΦΛΑΥΙ ΟΥΕΣΠ ΚΑΙΣ ΕΤΟΥΣ ΝΕΟΥ ΙΕΡΟΥ, barred Β (in right field), laureate head of Titus right (14.00 grams / 25 x 24 mm) eBay March 2023

 Attribution: RPC II 1941; McAlee 329 (CNG, etc.); McAlee 6 (RPC only?); Prieur 107A

 Provenance:  Littleton Coin Co. "Vespasian/Titus Silver Tetradrachm S# 2375 Very Good/Fine"

 Notes:  "RPC group 2 tetradrachm attributed to Antioch, but style wise very similar to Alexandria. RPC speculates the Alexandria style tetradrachms were either struck in Alexandria and then shipped to Antioch, or less likely Alexandrian mint workers were sent to Antioch and produced the coins there..." David Atherton on Coin Talk (2017)

 "...the artists...came from the workshop of Alexandria and constituted a military workshop: the style is characteristic of Alexandria and only exists for year 2, at the height of the Jewish War...This variant is characterized by the...absence of the star behind the neck of Titus and the initial T...at the start of reverse legend"  CGB.fr Webshop (acsearch)

Die-Match Characteristics:  RPC 1941 notes:  "Die-links 2-4: same obv. die as 1940/1, 9, 15, 20-2" Many obverse die-matches, but I could not find any for the rev. (long neck, with "ripples").

Die-Match Obverse: Coin no. 4 of RPC II, 1941 CNG, Inc.; Triton XXII; Lot 575; 08.01.2019 David Atherton, Coin Talk Agora Numismatics, June 2017."

Vespasian and an eagle:

Vespasian Tetradrachm Syria, Seleucis & Pieria Antiochia ad Orontem  Group 7; Year 1 (69 A.D.) AYTOKΡA[TΩΡ KAICAΡ CЄBACTOC OYЄ]CΠACIAN[OC], laureate head right / [ЄΤΟΥC] ΝЄΟΥ•ΙЄΡΟΥ•Α, eagle standing left on club, wreath in beak, palm branch left. (14.13 grams / 23 x 21 mm) eBay May 2023 

Attribution: RPC II 1970; McAlee 355;  Wruck 74 and 72; Prieur 132.

Attribution: Obv. legend ΑΥΤ... starts to right of bust; so this is: RPC II 1970 (A Yr. 1) RPC II 1971 (B Yr. 2) RPC II 1972 (Γ Yr. 3) A is barely visible ΝƐΟΥ ΙƐΡΟΥ  Α, making this RPC II 1970.

Die-Match Characteristics: Obv.: Truncation rear notch, etc. Rev.: Legend starts low on wing,

Die-Match Obverse: VCoins (also on MA Shops) Denarius Ringsrud SKU: 4714 Error:  RPC II 1972. VCoins London Ancient Coins SKU: SK2174  Error: RPC II 1955

And finally, a Jewish issue - I found this in my local dealer's junk box!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Steppenfool]

My IVDAEA denarius. Much like Vespasian, it's rough but charming. 😁

Edited August 8, 2023 by Steppenfool

[AncientOne]

Very nice presentation @LONGINUS. I wonder what the people of Jerusalem thought about this coin of Titus just a few years after the destruction of their temple.

Titus Flavius Vespasianus

Judaea, Askalon. Titus AE24

Obv: ΣEBAΣTOΣ, laureate head right.
Rev: AΣKAΛΩ, Tyche standing left on prow, holding standard and aphlaston, altar to left, dove standing left over ΔΠΡ (year 184) in right field.
RPC II 2209; BMC 117.
Dated AD 80-81.

[Troyden]

Oh, I do have a few of them

 

AE Prutah, Jewish Revolt, second year (67/8 AD), Hendin 661.
Weight 3,12 g, diameter 18 mm.

Sestertius of Vespasian, Judea Capta series, Rome mint, RIC II 159.
Weight 21.44 g, diameter 32 mm.

 

Denarius of Vespasian, Judea Capta series, Rome mint, RIC II 2.
Weight 2.53 g, diameter 16 mm.

 

Bonus: my favorite Vespasian.
Denarius, Rome mint, RIC II 546.
Weight 3.49 g, diameter 19.3mm.

[Sulla80]

A wonderful collection, beautifully presented, @LONGINUS! here's another coin from this period:

Judaea, Titus, As Caesar 69-79 CE, Æ 21mm (7.26g, 12h), Caesarea Maritima, struck 71 CE

Obv: AYTOKP TITOC]KAIΣAP, laureate head to right

Rev: [IOYΔAIAC] [ЄA]ΛѠKYIAC, Victory standing to right, with foot on helmet, inscribing [AYT KAIΣ] on shield resting on knee; palm behind

Ref:RPC II 2311; https://www.sullacoins.com/post/romans-in-judaea