JUDAEA, Bar Kokhba War. 132-136 CE. Sela = Tetradrachm (Silver, 27 mm, 13.46 g, 12 h), regular coinage. Uncertain mint, Year 1 = 132/3 CE. 𐤉𐤓𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤌 ('Jerusalem' in Paleo-Hebrew) Tetrastyle façade of the Temple of Jerusalem with fluted columns; within, the Ark of the Covenant in chest form with semicircular lid and short legs. Rev. 𐤔𐤍𐤕 𐤀𐤇𐤕 𐤋𐤂𐤀𐤋𐤕 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 ('Year 1 of the Redemption of Israel' in Paleo-Hebrew) Lulav with three projecting tips; to left, etrog. Bromberg I 79 (same dies). Hendin 6402 (same dies). Meshorer, AJC, 1 (same dies). Mildenberg 3 (O1/R3). Samel 2375 (same dies). Shoshana I 20223. SNG ANS 501 (same dies). Sofaer 1 (same obverse die). Very rare and of great historical interest. The earliest coinage of Bar Kokhba, struck from the original R3 die before it developed the breaks that led to its recutting as R4. Overstruck on a Syro-Phoenician tetradrachm of Trajan. Traces of overstriking and with light doubling on the reverse, otherwise, about extremely fine.



Even following the suppression of the initial Jewish uprising in 66-70 CE, Judaea remained a turbulent province within the Roman Empire. While the Kitos War (Kitos being a derivation of Lucius Quietus, the Roman commander-in-chief), known to the Romans as the Tumultus Iudaicus, primarily ravaged the Jewish diaspora in Cyrenaica, Egypt, Cyprus, and Mesopotamia in 115-117 CE, Judaea was also impacted when one of the Jewish leaders, named Lukuas, retreated to Lydda, where he was subsequently captured and executed by Quietus.

Fifteen years later, in 132 CE, Judaea became the epicenter of a renewed Jewish revolt under the leadership of Simon bar Kokhba. Within weeks, the rebels managed to ambush substantial portions of the Roman forces in the province in minor skirmishes and gained control over larger swathes of Judaea, although Jerusalem, the capital city, remained seemingly unconquered. Simon, assuming the title 'nasi of Israel,' akin to 'Prince' or 'Leader' of Israel, likely capitalized on messianic expectations, although political and social motivations also fueled the revolt.

Drawing from past conflicts and the substantial initial casualties suffered by the two legions stationed in Judaea, the Roman response was resolute. Troops were marshaled from across the Eastern regions, resulting in the deployment of between 30,000 and 50,000 soldiers to quell the rebellion. Nonetheless, it took the leadership of Sextus Julius Severus, Hadrian's finest general, to shift the tide in 134/5 CE. Simon's final stand was at Betar, where he and many of his remaining followers met their demise in 135 CE. The uprising left Judaea in ruins, likely resulting in Jews becoming a minority in their ancestral lands. Jerusalem was reestablished as Aelia Capitolina, a Roman colony, and the province was renamed Syria Palaestina. To suppress Jewish nationalism, Hadrian also prohibited Torah law and the Jewish calendar.

Although its iconography was entirely Jewish, Simon Bar Kokhba's coinage was heavily influenced by the Roman denominations circulating in the province. This was not only driven by economic factors but also because the rebels seemingly did not produce their own flans, instead overstriking their silver coins on confiscated Syrian-Phoenician tetradrachms, drachms from Bostra, and imperial denarii.

The present piece is a very rare Year 1 sela, or tetradrachm, and a key rarity within the Jewish series as a whole. It was struck from Mildenberg’s R3 reverse die, which soon developed breaks and was eventually recut as the considerably cruder R4. On the present coin, however, these cracks are not yet visible, indicating that it was struck at a very early stage in the sequence. The etrog in particular – which Mildenberg described as 'beautifully designed' – is still unaffected by the characteristic die breaks. Like all of Bar Kokhba’s coins, the present example was overstruck on an earlier issue, in this case a Syro-Phoenician tetradrachm of Trajan, traces of whose eagle can still be seen over the left-hand columns of the temple.