JUDAEA, Bar Kokhba War. 132-136 CE. Middle Bronze (Bronze, 27 mm, 7.63 g, 6 h), irregular coinage. Uncertain mint, Year 1 = 132/3 CE. 𐤔𐤌𐤏 (‘Šimʿon’, abbreviated, in Paleo-Hebrew) Seven-branched palm tree with two bunches of dates. Rev. 𐤔𐤍𐤕 𐤀𐤇𐤕 𐤋𐤂𐤀𐤋𐤕 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 ('Year 1 of the Redemption of Israel' in Paleo-Hebrew) Vine leaf on tendril. Bromberg I 265 (same dies). Hendin 6408a (same dies). Meshorer, AJC, -. Mildenberg 166 (O5/R6). Samel -. Shoshana -. Sofaer -. Triton XXIX (2026), 5454 (same dies). Extremely rare, apparently one of only three known examples, and of great historical interest. Traces of overstriking, otherwise, very fine.



It has long been recognized that the coinage of the Bar Kokhba Revolt was produced by at least two distinct workshops: a principal operation responsible for the so-called 'regular coinage' and a much smaller subsidiary workshop that produced the 'irregular coinage'. The latter comprises both silver and bronze issues. Mildenberg observed, however, that the latest regular and earliest irregular silver coins remain relatively close in style, suggesting a gradual transition rather than an abrupt break between the two groups.

The very rare bronzes of the 'irregular coinage', including the present piece, present a much sharper contrast. Both technically and stylistically, they are markedly cruder than the regular issues, although their quality varies considerably: some retain largely intelligible legends, while on others the letter forms become increasingly distorted and may ultimately degenerate almost entirely into pseudo-script. Unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding their production remain uncertain. One possibility is that minting was divided between the principal rebel force and one or more smaller groups, one of which operated its own workshop with engravers whose command of the Paleo-Hebrew script varied considerably. Such a workshop may have been attached to a settlement or to a small military detachment, perhaps even a mobile camp, although this must remain conjectural.