The Half Shekel
Year 58

Coin Description

New Holy Half-Shekel for year 58


Obverse

In the center of the obverse is the Hatavat Menorah (Exodux 25:38). This vessel was used to clean the gold cups of the Menorah.

Above the Hatavat Menorah appears the date, in ancient Hebrew letters taken from the coinage of the First Rebellion (65-70 CE); "Shin Noon Het" standing for "Shanah 'Noon-Het" (58th Year). As we have no custom of dating our coinage by foreign calenders, nor even from Creation, we took the example of our predecessors and dated our ceremonial coin from the Liberation of the Land of Israel. This year's coin, minted to be given on Purim of 2006, will open the 58th Year celebrations of the State of Israel.

Below the Hatavat Menorah appear the words "Lo Heilech Chuki" (Not Legal Tender), to satisfy the needs of the Bank of Israel Law that we are not producing a currency substitute.

The legend along the right side of the coin reads "V'Natnu Ish Kofer Nafsho L'Hashem" ("And every person shall give an atonement for their soul to G-d") [Exodus 30:12], and continues with "Machatzit Hashekel B'Shekel Hakodesh" ("Half a Shekel of the Holy Shekel") [Exodus 30:13]

The same wording appears in the ancient Hebrew script as the legend along the left side of the coin. We did this as a continuation of our ancestors' custom of retaining the ancient script on our independent coinage, even after that script has been superceded by another version, as was the case with the First and Second Rebellion coins.



Reverse

The reverse features the Tabernacle depicting the Pillar of Fire with the tents of the tribes surrounding it in the desert.

The legend across the top reads "Heasher Lo Yarbeh, V'Hadal Lo Yamit" ("The rich shall not give more, nor the poor less".) [Exodus 30:15]

The legend across the bottom reads "L'Shem Ichud Klal Yisrael" ("For the sake of the unity of the whole House of Israel") [Beged Ivri]


Diameter:21.9 mm.
Weight:7.778 gr.
Edge:Smooth
Alloy:Silver .999
Design:Beged Ivri
Mint:Jerusalem
Mintage:TBA
Year:58 (2006/2007)
Date of Issue:Purim 5766 (13th March, 2006)


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