Ancient Shekel Coin Sold for $1.1 Million
An ancient Judean shekel coin was sold at auction for $1.1 million.
The coin, the first silver shekel struck in Jerusalem by Jewish forces rebelling against the Romans in the first century, was purchased by an unidentified private collector on March 8 at Heritage Auctions in New York City. Its pre-auction estimated value was $950,000; the auction house told the Associated Press that it is the highest price ever paid at auction for a Judean coin.
The coin, called a Year 1 prototype, was minted in the year 66 AD. The words “A shekel of Israel made in Year 1” is printed on the front of the coin, and “Jerusalem the holy” on the back. The only other coin of its kind known to exist is housed at the Israel Museum, the New York Post reported.
The coin was part of the auction of The Shoshana Collection of Ancient Coins of Judea, made up of 2,200 ancient Judean coins assembled over 40 years by a private Los Angeles collector. The Year 1 prototype coin was purchased 20 years ago for $240,000.
The collection, which will be auctioned over the course of the next year, is regarded as the greatest assembly of ancient coins related to the foundation of ancient Israel ever offered, spanning more than 11 centuries, according to Artdaily.org. It is expected to bring in about $10 million.
The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
