Lot 3661

Description

Palestine, Judaea, John Hyrcanus I (Yehohanan), (134-104 B.C.), copper prutah, (2.28 grams), obv. legend in four lines (yehphanan, the High Priest and the Council of the Jews), all within wreath, rev. double cornucopiae adorned with ribbons, pomegranate between, (S. 6096, H.454 [22], AJC I, Group La, cf.Kaufman 'Unrecorded Hasmonean Coins From the J.CH. Kaufman Collection', Jerusalem, 1995, No.La51, similar if not same obverse die). Delightful tone, extremely fine and very rare in this condition.

The type has been reattributed to John Hyrcanus I instead of John Hyrcanus II as attributed by Meshorer and other scholars because of a late 1987 hoard of about 700 coins which contained only the issues that referred to 'Yehohanan the High Priest' with issues from Seleucid coins of the 2nd century B.C. and a very early Nabataean coin. Consequently Hendin and Qedar announced the find as clearly establishing these issues to the first Hasmonean ruler rather than the grandson. This empirical proof established the sequence of issues and shortly after its discovery Meshorer endorsed the order in his Addendum I, although his own earlier AJC volumes (1982) had the coins issued to the grandson.