This is a genuine bronze coin of King John Hyrcanus I of Judea, struck around 135 BCE—widely recognized as the first Jewish coin. Hyrcanus was the son of Simon Maccabeus and a key figure in the aftermath of the Maccabean Revolt, which freed the Jewish people from Seleucid Greek rule. As the founder of the Hasmonean dynasty, Hyrcanus restored Israel to Jewish self-rule and ushered in what is known as the Second Temple Period—a defining era in Jewish history.
Before this time, Judea had been dominated by outside empires, and local leaders had no authority to mint their own coinage. With Hyrcanus’ reign, for the first time in centuries, the Jewish people produced money under their own authority. These coins carried symbols of Jewish faith and heritage, a bold statement of independence and cultural identity in a world dominated by powerful neighbors like the Greeks and Romans.
Although often small and simple in design, these bronzes represent a monumental shift: the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty and the ability to circulate coinage that reflected their own traditions rather than foreign rulers. Coins such as this circulated in the daily lives of the people of Judea—used in marketplaces, temples, and homes more than 2,100 years ago.
To hold this coin is to hold the very beginning of Jewish coinage, a tangible artifact from the era when Israel was restored to Jewish rule and faith found new expression through currency. For new collectors, it offers an accessible yet profoundly meaningful piece of both ancient and Biblical history.
This is a genuine bronze coin of King John Hyrcanus I of Judea, struck around 135 BCE—widely recognized as the first Jewish coin. Hyrcanus was the son of Simon Maccabeus and a key figure in the aftermath of the Maccabean Revolt, which freed the Jewish people from Seleucid Greek rule. As the founder of the Hasmonean dynasty, Hyrcanus restored Israel to Jewish self-rule and ushered in what is known as the Second Temple Period—a defining era in Jewish history.
Before this time, Judea had been dominated by outside empires, and local leaders had no authority to mint their own coinage. With Hyrcanus’ reign, for the first time in centuries, the Jewish people produced money under their own authority. These coins carried symbols of Jewish faith and heritage, a bold statement of independence and cultural identity in a world dominated by powerful neighbors like the Greeks and Romans.
Although often small and simple in design, these bronzes represent a monumental shift: the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty and the ability to circulate coinage that reflected their own traditions rather than foreign rulers. Coins such as this circulated in the daily lives of the people of Judea—used in marketplaces, temples, and homes more than 2,100 years ago.
To hold this coin is to hold the very beginning of Jewish coinage, a tangible artifact from the era when Israel was restored to Jewish rule and faith found new expression through currency. For new collectors, it offers an accessible yet profoundly meaningful piece of both ancient and Biblical history.
