JUDAEA, Bar Kokhba War. 132-136 CE. Sela = Tetradrachm (Silver, 27 mm, 13.86 g, 1 h), regular coinage. Uncertain mint. Undated, but attributed to Year 3 = 134/5 CE. 𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤅𐤍 ('Šimʿon' 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; above, rosette. Rev. 𐤋𐤇𐤓𐤅𐤕 𐤉𐤓𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤌 ('For the Freedom of Jerusalem' in Paleo-Hebrew) Lulav with three projecting tips; to left, etrog. Bromberg I 105 (same dies). Hendin 6439. Meshorer, AJC, 51 (same obverse die). Mildenberg 57 (O13/R43). Samel 2442-2443 (same obverse die). Shoshana I 20331-20335 (same obverse die). Sofaer 107 (same obverse die). Lightly toned. Slightly rough. The ususal die break on the obverse and with minor traces of overstriking on the reverse, otherwise, extremely fine.



The coins conventionally assigned to the third year of the Bar Kokhba Revolt (134/5 CE) are themselves undated. Their position at the end of the series is established by the explicitly dated issues of Years 1 and 2, while the continuity of types and the reuse of earlier dies show that the undated coinage followed directly upon the second-year issues. At the same time, the earlier slogans 'For the Redemption of Israel' and 'For the Freedom of Israel' give way to the new and consistent formula 'For the Freedom of Jerusalem.' This striking shift in emphasis, from Israel as a whole to Jerusalem, has often been understood as reflecting the increasingly desperate circumstances of the revolt as Roman pressure intensified. The undated issues thus form the final major phase of Bar Kokhba’s coinage and are conventionally dated to 134/5 CE.