JUDAEA, Bar Kokhba War. 132-136 CE. Zuz = Denarius (Silver, 20 mm, 3.30 g, 7 h), regular coinage. Uncertain mint. Undated, but attributed to Year 3 = 134/5 CE. 𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤅𐤍 (‘Šimʿon’ in Paleo-Hebrew) Grape bunch on vine. Rev. 𐤋𐤇𐤓𐤅𐤕 𐤉𐤓𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤌 ('For the Freedom of Jerusalem' in Paleo-Hebrew) Three-stringed kithara-lyre. Bromberg II 542 (same dies). Hendin 6462. Meshorer, AJC, 57. Mildenberg 218 (O24/R141). Samel 2488-2494 (same obverse die). Shoshana II 20290 (same dies). Sofaer 126-128. Beautifully toned. Overstruck on an Arabian drachm of Trajan. Traces of overstriking and with a die break on the reverse, otherwise, about extremely fine.



Like so many zuzim, this coin was struck over an Arabian drachm of Trajan. The recognizable portrait style and the long legend, of which [...]CTⲰ CЄB ΓЄ[...] is still visible between 6 and 9 o’clock, show that the undertype was not one of the earlier and considerably more common issues with Arabia on the reverse, but rather a later issue with a camel on the reverse (RPC III 4076-4081).