"COIN OF THE MONTH" - SHIMON BAR KOCHBA " ELEAZAR " AE SMALL DENOMINATION
Mildenberg 155, Hendin 6465, Near Extremely Fine, 21.7mm, 7.52 grams, attributed to year three 134/134 C.E.
Obverse: "Eleazar the priest" in paleo-Hebrew flanks seven-branched palm tree with two bunches of dates
Reverse: Bunch of grapes with branch and small leaf, "Year one for the redemption of Israel" in paleo-Hebrew around
Rated RARE in GBC. The year one Eleazar coins are altogether scarce, this is a rarer probable Hybrid type as it pairs a reverse Eleazar die who essentially disappears after year one of the revolt and an undated obverse die, which numismatic scholars date to year three.
Unlike the great majority of coins of this type which have been extensively cleaned and often retoned, this coin is relatively untouched, and has a wonderful appealing patina of the type indicating its probably existence in a 19th century or early 20th century collection. One can also clearly see the file marks, handiwork of Bar Kochba's men back in 134/135 C.E., on both the obverse and the reverse, as they prepared this coin for striking!
Ex: Gershon Bineth Collection. Gershon Bineth passed away in 1973. He founded a famous art Gallery in Tel-Aviv, Israel in 1962.
There is wide conjecture as to who the Eleazar named on the coin of Bar Kokhba was. Some scholars say it was his uncle Rabbi Eleazar of Modi'in who was a Kohen (priest), and who Bar Kokhba may have desired to appoint as high priest upon his victory. Bar Kokhba killed him after he was falsely slandered as a traitor. According to David Hendin, the allusion to Eleazar was more for propaganda purposes refering to Eleazar the High Priest son of Aharon in the Bible, who was the first and reigning high priest when Joshua conquered Judaea and Israel.
