Under Siege: Sack of the Great Cities Six Coin Collection

This unique collection features six authentic historical coins that circulated in six famous cities at the time they were sacked and destroyed by invading forces. Each coin represents a pivotal moment in history when a great civilization faced catastrophe, offering a tangible connection to these dramatic historical events.

1. Jerusalem Bronze Prutah (about 1950 years ago)

This small bronze coin was minted during the First Jewish Revolt against Rome (66-70 AD), when Jewish rebels struck their own coins as symbols of independence from Roman rule. The coin circulated in Jerusalem during the final siege that led to the city's destruction.

Coin Description:

• Front side: Simple amphora (ancient storage vessel) design in crude style

• Back side: Vine leaf design, a traditional Jewish symbol

Technical Details:

• Bronze composition

• Denomination: Prutah (small bronze coin used in ancient Judaea)

• Diameter: 15-18 mm

• Weight: 1.5-3.0 grams

• Date: 66-70 AD

Historical Significance: This coin was minted by Jewish rebels during their revolt against Roman rule. When Jerusalem fell to Roman forces under Titus in 70 AD, the magnificent Second Temple was destroyed and much of the city was razed. This catastrophic event marked a turning point in Jewish history, leading to the Diaspora (scattering of Jewish populations) throughout the ancient world.

2. Rome Bronze Coin (about 1600 years ago)

This bronze coin was minted during the reign of Emperor Honorius, one of the last rulers of the Western Roman Empire, and was in circulation when Rome was sacked by Visigothic forces in 410 AD.

Coin Description:

• Front side: Portrait of Emperor Honorius wearing imperial regalia

• Back side: Various designs (specific design not specified)

Technical Details:

• Bronze composition

• Denomination: Late Roman bronze coin

• Diameter: 13-18 mm

• Weight: 0.9-2.5 grams

• Date: 393-423 AD

Historical Significance: This coin circulated during the twilight years of the Western Roman Empire. When Visigothic forces under Alaric breached Rome's walls on August 24, 410 AD, it sent shockwaves throughout the Mediterranean world. The three-day pillage of the "Eternal City" symbolized the decline of Roman power and presaged the eventual fall of the Western Roman Empire several decades later.

3. Constantinople Byzantine Trachy (about 800 years ago)

This concave bronze coin, known as a trachy, was minted in Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) during the 13th century and was in circulation when the city was captured and looted by Western Crusaders in 1204 AD.

Coin Description:

• Front side: Christ seated on a throne wearing a nimbus (halo)

• Back side: Emperor and Virgin Mary standing facing forward

Technical Details:

• Bronze composition

• Denomination: Trachy (concave Byzantine coin)

• Diameter: 20.5-29.5 mm

• Weight: 2.2-4.3 grams

• Date: 13th century AD

Historical Significance: This Byzantine coin circulated when Constantinople, the "impregnable" capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell not to Muslim forces but to fellow Christians during the Fourth Crusade. The Crusaders, manipulated by Venetian interests, brutally sacked the greatest Christian city of the era in April 1204. This event deepened the religious divide between Eastern and Western Christianity and severely weakened the Byzantine Empire.

4. Baghdad Il-Khanid Silver Dirham (about 760 years ago)

This silver coin was minted by the Il-Khanid Mongols who conquered Baghdad in 1258, destroying the Abbasid Caliphate that had ruled there for centuries. The coin features Arabic inscriptions rather than figurative designs.

Coin Description:

• Front side: Arabic script showing the mint location and titles of the ruler

• Back side: Arabic script with dates

Technical Details:

• Silver composition

• Denomination: Dirham (standard silver coin in Islamic monetary systems)

• Date: 13th century AD

Historical Significance: This coin was minted after the devastating Mongol conquest of Baghdad in February 1258, when forces led by Hulagu Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan) destroyed the city and ended the Abbasid Caliphate. The week-long sack of Baghdad resulted in massive loss of life and the destruction of countless cultural treasures, including the House of Wisdom library, dealing a blow to Islamic civilization from which it took centuries to recover.

5. Magdeburg Austrian Silver 3 Kreuzer (about 390 years ago)

This silver coin was minted under Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II and was in circulation during the Thirty Years' War when the Protestant city of Magdeburg (in modern Germany) was brutally sacked by Catholic Imperial forces in 1631.

Coin Description:

• Front side: Bust of Ferdinand II wearing imperial regalia

• Back side: Crowned eagle or shields (imperial symbols)

Technical Details:

• Silver composition

• Denomination: 3 Kreuzer

• Diameter: 20.5-23 mm

• Weight: Approximately 1.6 grams

• Date: 1619-1637

Historical Significance: This coin circulated during the Thirty Years' War, one of Europe's most destructive religious conflicts. The Protestant stronghold of Magdeburg, then one of Germany's largest cities, was besieged and captured by Catholic Imperial forces in May 1631. The subsequent massacre became notorious even in an era accustomed to wartime atrocities, with an estimated 20,000 inhabitants killed and the city burned to the ground.

6. Nanking Republic of China Nickel Chiao (about 85 years ago)

This modern nickel coin was issued by the Republic of China government under Chiang Kai-shek and was in circulation when the city of Nanking (modern Nanjing, China) was captured by Japanese forces in 1937.

Coin Description:

• Front side: Portrait of Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Republic of China

• Back side: Rendering of ancient "pants money" (an early Chinese currency shape)

Technical Details:

• Nickel composition

• Denomination: Chiao (10 cents, or 1/10 of a Chinese yuan)

• Catalog number: KM-349

• Diameter: 21 mm

• Date: 1936-1939

Historical Significance: This coin was in circulation during the Second Sino-Japanese War when Japanese forces captured Nanking, then capital of the Republic of China, in December 1937. The subsequent "Rape of Nanking" saw widespread atrocities against civilians over a seven-week period, with tens of thousands killed in what became one of the worst war crimes of the 20th century, shocking even Nazi German observers present in the city.