87 / 120
169
Judaea, Bar Kokhba Revolt. Silver Zuz (3.30 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 at top and tendrils at bottom; pairs of dots between each section of wreath. Rev. ‘For the freedom
of Jerusalem’ (Paleo-Hebrew), fluted jug with handle on left; in right field, willow branch. (Mildenberg
104.19 (O16/R55; this coin); TJC 283a; Hendin 1422).
Twenty-nine examples cited by Mildenberg, this
being the specimen used to illustrate the dies.
Well struck and attractively toned. Extremely fine.
$ 800
ex Abraham Bromberg Collection, part I (Superior, 5 December 1991), lot 169
ex El Fawar Hoard.
170
Judaea, Bar Kokhba Revolt. Silver Zuz (3.23 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 medallion at
top and tendrils at bottom; pairs of dots between each section of wreath. Rev. ‘For the freedom of Jerusalem’
(Paleo-Hebrew), fluted jug with handle on left; in right field, willow branch. (Mildenberg 107 (O16/R73);
TJC 283a; Hendin 1422). Struck on a nice broad flan. Toned. Extremely fine.
$ 800
Purchased privately, December 2001.
171
Judaea, Bar Kokhba Revolt. Silver Zuz (3.21 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 medallion
between two pairs of dots at top and tendrils at bottom. Rev. ‘For the freedom of Jerusalem’ (Paleo-Hebrew),
fluted jug with handle on left; in right field, willow branch. (Mildenberg 85 (O15/R52); TJC 283a; Hendin
1422). Well struck and well centered. Attractively toned. Extremely fine.
$ 700
ex Abraham Bromberg Collection, part I (Superior, 5 December 1991), lot 163.
The jug and willow branch reverse of this and the following four undated zuzim attributed to the third year (134/5 CE) of the Bar
Kochba War (as well as many other zuzim in this sale) are objects used in the water libation ceremony performed before the altar
of the Jerusalem Temple during the Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Since the Temple and its altar had been destroyed long before
by Titus and the Roman legions in 70 CE, the reference to this ritual on the coins served as a messianic rallying cry to remind the
rebels of what had been lost to the Romans in the First Jewish Revolt (66-73 CE) and to inflame their desire to fight as the Romans
returned to crush the new insurrection.