85 / 120
164
Judaea, Bar Kokhba Revolt. Silver Zuz (3.22 g), 132-135 CE. Undated, attributed to year 3 (134/5 CE).
‘Simon’ (Paleo-Hebrew) within wreath of thin branches wrapped around eight almonds, with a medallion
at top and tendrils at bottom. Rev. ‘For the freedom of Jerusalem’ (Paleo-Hebrew), elongated lyre with three
strings. (Mildenberg 70 (O14/R42); TJC 272; Hendin 1419). Superb extremely fine.
$ 700
Purchased privately, July 1998.
165
Judaea, Bar Kokhba Revolt. Silver Zuz (3.18 g), 132-135 CE. Undated, attributed to year 3 (134/5 CE).
‘Simon’ (Paleo-Hebrew) within wreath of thin branches wrapped around eight almonds, with a medallion
at top and tendrils at bottom. Rev. ‘For the freedom of Jerusalem’ (Paleo-Hebrew), elongated lyre with three
strings. (Mildenberg 70 (O14/R42); TJC 272; Hendin 1419). Well struck and well centered. Delicately
toned. Superb extremely fine.
$ 700
ex Superior (9-10 December 1984), lot 823.
166
Judaea, Bar Kokhba Revolt. Silver Zuz (3.09 g), 132-135 CE. Undated, attributed to year 3 (134/5 CE).
‘Simna’ (Paleo-Hebrew) within wreath of thin branches wrapped around eight almonds, with a medal-
lion between two pairs of dots at top and tendrils at bottom. Rev. ‘For the freedom of Jerusalem’ (Paleo
Hebrew), upright palm branch. (Mildenberg 91 (O15/R60); TJC 279a; Hendin 1420).
Scarce - only nine
specimens cited by Mildenberg.
Boldly struck and perfectly centered. Toned. Extremely fine.
$ 800
ex NFA XXV (29 November 1990), lot 275.
The odd arrangement of the paleo-Hebrew legend on the obverse of this and the following undated zuz attributed to the third year
(134/5 CE) of the Bar Kochba War makes the name of rebel leader, Simon [bar Kochba], read as Simna. This and other errors in
the legends that occur on Bar Kochba issues may imply that some (many?) engravers were merely copying the letters and may not
have had the ability to actually read and understand them.