JUDAEA, Bar Kokhba War. 132-136 CE. Zuz = Denarius (Silver, 20 mm, 3.43 g, 7 h), irregular coinage. Uncertain mint, Year 2 = 133/4 CE. 𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤅𐤍 (‘Šimʿon’ in Paleo-Hebrew) Grape bunch on vine with small leaf to left. Rev. 𐤋𐤇𐤓𐤅𐤕 𐤉𐤓𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤌 ('For the freedom of Jerusalem' in Paleo-Hebrew) Two upright trumpets. Bromberg I 222 = Meshorer, TJC, 278b = Shoshana I 20453 (same dies). Hendin -. Meshorer, AJC, -. Mildenberg 252 (O45'/R168). Samel -. Sofaer -. Extremely rare, the third known example of this highly interesting issue. Overstruck on a Roman denarius. Areas of weakness and traces of overstriking, otherwise, extremely fine.



This extremely rare irregular zuz was previously known from only two specimens: the example from the 1978 El Fawar Hoard (Mildenberg no. 26), which later passed into the Bromberg and Shoshana Collections, and a specimen from the collection of Moshe Dayan, the famous Israeli general and politician (1915-1981), whose collection was acquired by the Israel Museum after his death.

Unusually, the reverse legend on this specimen begins at the upper left rather than the lower right. The coin was overstruck on a Roman denarius, faint traces of whose legend remain visible on the obverse, while parts of the inscription [...]ONT MAX [...] COS can still be read on the reverse.