John Hyrcanus was King and High Priest of Judea in the second century BCE, a ruler of
the legendary Hasmonean dynasty which restored Israel to Jewish power.
The son of Simon Maccabaeus, John took part in the uprising against the Seleucid
Empire, as described in the Biblical books of Maccabees, assuming command when his
father died. Under John’s leadership, the Jews completely repelled the hated Seleucids
from Judea, doubling the size of their kingdom and granting them the opportunity to
mint these, the first Jewish coins.
The coins obverse shows a double cornucopia flanking a sacred pomegranate, both,
symbolizing abundance. The inscription on the reverse of the coin reads Yehohanan
(John) the High Priest and the Council of the Jews. Note that there is no imagery of
man or animal—as High Priest, John held strictly to the Jewish prohibition on graven
images.
Data:
Diameter: 12-14.5 mm
Weight: 1.7-2.4 grams
Box measures: 3.87” X 3.87” X 1.25”
Order code: 1STJEWISHCOINBOX
All coins in each set are protected in an archival capsule and beautifully displayed in a
mahogany-like box.The box set is accompanied with a story card, certificate of
authenticity, and a black embossed gift box.
Coin type and grade may vary somewhat from image