In 66 AD the jews of palestine revolted against the Roman occupation. Soon, the war raged across the land and the belief in the return of the Mesiah spread among the people. consequently,this belief found its way to the coins minted in the early years of the revolt. slogans like: "Jerusalem the Holy" and "to the Freedom of Zion" were engraved on the coins minted by the Jewish authorities.
Before we are describing the coins minted in the revolt, we shall separate them into two groups.
The first group of coins are the silver coins, the Sheqel and half Sheqel. the sheqel was the "big money" of that time. but it had also other uses. half-Sheqel coins were mainly used as the temple tribute, which every jewish male had to give to the temple in jerusalem every year.
here are some examples of Year One prototypes.
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The second group is the bronze coins. The most common coins of this group are the Prutahs, espeacially those of the second year of the war.
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Towards the end of the revolt, in the fourth and fifth year of the war, there was a shortage of silver. As a result the jews now minted their quarters as large bronze coins, inscribed :"quarters of Sheqel, year four"
Here are half, quarter and eighth of a Sheqel from those years minted in bronze
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