JUDAEA, Jewish War. 66-73/4 CE. Half Shekel (Bronze, 26 mm, 14.87 g, 12 h), Jerusalem, Year 4 = 69/70 CE. 𐤔𐤍𐤕 𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤏 𐤇𐤑𐤉 ('Year 4, half' in Paleo-Hebrew) Etrog flanked by two lulav bundles. Rev. 𐤋𐤂𐤀𐤋𐤕 𐤑𐤉𐤅𐤍 ('For the Redemption of Zion' in Paleo-Hebrew) Seven-branched palm tree with two bunches of dates, flanked by baskets of dates. Bromberg I 73. Hendin 6396. Kadman 32. Meshorer, AJC, 27 (same obverse die). Samel 2272-2275. Shoshana I 20215. Sofaer 39. Very rare and of great historical and numismatic interest. Attractive earthen highlights. Very fine.



The increasing strain on Jerusalem’s monetary resources in Year 4 is reflected not only in the dramatic decline in the production of silver shekels and half-shekels (cf. lot 234 above), but also in the introduction of a new series of large bronze fractions. The two larger denominations are explicitly marked 𐤇𐤑𐤉 ('half') and 𐤓𐤁𐤉𐤏 ('quarter', cf. lot 236 below), while the smallest bears no indication of value and is conventionally identified as an eighth-shekel. These bronze issues were apparently intended to circulate as nominal half-, quarter-, and eighth-shekels.

In 1913, Edward T. Newell discussed the Year 4 bronze fractions under the title 'The Oldest Known ‘Siege-Pieces’,' observing that 'in every possible sense of the term these are true siege-pieces' (Newell 1913, 543–544, esp. 544). Under the conventional Nisan-based chronology, however, these coins were issued before Titus began the formal siege of Jerusalem in Nisan 70 CE. They nevertheless remain exceptional historical documents and perhaps form the most remarkable emergency issues of ancient coinage.