JUDAEA, Bar Kokhba Revolt. 132-135 CE. Zuz or Denarius (Subaeratus, 21 mm, 3.23 g, 12 h), undated, but attributed to year 3 (134/5 CE). 'Shimo'n' (in Hebrew) Grape bunch on vine tendril. Rev. 'For the freedom of Jerusalem' (in Hebrew) Flagon with handle; to right, lulav. Hendin 6460. Meshorer 285. Mildenberg - (unlisted dies). Unlisted dies, and extremely rare as an overstrike on a plated coin. Fresh, sharp and lustrous, an exceptional coin. Traces of overstriking and with very minor breaks in plating on the edge, otherwise, good extremely fine.


This magnificent zuz is of particular importance not only because its dies are unrecorded in Mildenberg, but also because it was struck over a plated undertype. In a 1980 article, Hendin identified four such specimens (D. Hendin: Plated Coins of Bar Kokhba,, in: INJ 4 (1980), 34–37), while Mildenberg listed three more in his die study of the Bar Kokhba coinage. Such pieces were probably not intentional; rather, they testify to the unnoticed circulation of plated denarii or drachms in the everyday currency of Judaea at the time. More plated examples may originally have existed, but were presumably withdrawn whenever the plating was detected during striking. The present specimen, however, retains an almost flawless silver coating, showing only minor splitting at the edge. Its preservation is likewise exceptional, with full mint luster on the obverse.