The Half Shekel
Year 59

Coin Description

In the center of the obverse is the Chest for New Shekels (Mishna Shekalim 6:5). This was one of 13 collection chests in the Temple Treasury specifically used to collect the new Holy Half Shekel contributions for the current year.

Above the Chest for New Shekels appears the date, in ancient Hebrew letters taken from the coinage of the First Rebellion (65-70 CE); "Shin Noon Tet" standing for "Shanah 'Noon-Tet" (59th 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 2007, will open the 59th Year celebrations of the State of Israel.

Below the Chest for New Shekels 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of our ancestors' custom of retaining the ancient script on our independent coinage, even after that script has been superceded by another version, as was the case with the First and Second Rebellion coins.

The reverse reads "Shiklu et Hashekel sheyikva derech geulateinu" (Weigh out your Shekel that will establish the path to our Redemption) taken from a promotional poster issued in 1939 encouraging participation in the Zionist Shekel.

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]