A Silver Shekel Worth Millions

Started by Bimat, March 12, 2012, 08:22:34 AM

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Bimat

$1M for just one shekel?!

By ANDY SOLTIS
Last Updated: 6:10 AM, March 10, 2012
Posted: 12:56 AM, March 10, 2012

An ancient Jewish coin sold for a record $1.1 million at a Manhattan auction house.

The Year 1 prototype silver shekel from 66 AD was bought Thursday night at Heritage Auctions by an unidentified private collector.

It's the first silver coin struck by Jewish forces who revolted that year against Roman rule in the province of Judea.

The coin features an image of a ritual chalice and three pomegranates, with "A shekel of Israel made in Year 1" printed on one side and "Jerusalem the holy" on the reverse.

Only one other Year 1 prototype silver shekel is known to exist, and it is in the collection of the Israel Museum.

Heritage said $1.1 million was the highest price for any Judean coin paid at auction. It's pre-auction estimated value was $950,000.

Source
It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. -J. K. Rowling.

ZYV

My publications on numismatics and history of Golden Horde  https://independent.academia.edu/ZayonchkovskyYuru

Mackie

Very neat coin but who is this private collector who spent more than a million on this coin?? ??? ??? ???
Warm Regards,
Mackie

Figleaf

A private individual suffering from an acute overdose of money. The price is explained by the words "Heritage Auctions", a very large numismatic vending machine. I shall not say what I think of them, because their wrath is terrible and I have better things to do. Let's just say that all those "record prices" may be in the interest of journalists, they are not in the interest of coin collecting.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Md. Shariful Islam

I was thinking even if I would have a coin like that, my life would have been terrible.

Ancientnoob

I wouldn't mind having it. Although I would have to work for ever, eat out a dumpster and sleep in the back of my buddy's car and charge a nominal fee to people to come see my, "back of a 1996 Ford Contour exhibit".  The coin of some historical significance but I wouldn't pay that even if I had it. I just wouldn't feel right putting a million dollar coin, with limited artistic value in a 2x2 flip. HAHAHA
"Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it."

- Publius Syrius

mrbrklyn

Quote from: Figleaf on March 27, 2012, 10:32:43 PM
A private individual suffering from an acute overdose of money. The price is explained by the words "Heritage Auctions", a very large numismatic vending machine. I shall not say what I think of them, because their wrath is terrible and I have better things to do. Let's just say that all those "record prices" may be in the interest of journalists, they are not in the interest of coin collecting.

Peter

its an amazing Shekel and a rare physical artifact of the Jewish people.  Frankly, it was underrpiced...by a lot.