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Ancient Coin Collecting NewsEntered below are news items of interest to collectors of ancient coins and antiquities.
Jerusalem Dead Sea Cave Yields Treasure Israeli archaeologists excavating caves near the Dead Sea have found nine rare silver coins believed to date back to a failed Jewish rebellion against the Romans in the second century. The coins add another layer to the story of the families Shimon Bar Kochba led into hiding in the caves of the Judean Desert - what turned out to be the end of the second Jewish uprising against the Romans, which resulted in their exile. Archaeological finds relating to the three-year rebellion are rare. About 2,000 coins from the rebellion are known to exist, and this is only the second time archaeologists have found such coins on a dig, said Hanan Eshel, who led the digs and is the head of the Jewish Studies and Archaeology Department at Tel Aviv's Bar Ilan University. Of particular rarity is the largest Jewish coin ever issued, a half-ounce silver coin known as the Petra Drachma. One side of the coin shows Jerusalem's second Jewish temple, destroyed by the Romans during the first Jewish rebellion in the year 70. The other side shows another important Jewish symbol - the image of four plants, known as the four species, used during ceremonies for the festival of Sukkot. "Bar Kochba never minted his own coins, so what we have here is a Roman coin with the temple and the four species stamped over the portrait of the Roman emperor," Eshel said. Historical records tell little about the rebellion or its leader. "Neither the Jews nor the Romans considered the rebellion to be a success, so very little was written about it," Eshel said. "That is why archaeological finds are so important." With the collapse of the rebellion that broke out in the year 132, many Jews fled to the caves on the shore of the Dead Sea in the hope of avoiding the advancing Roman legions. The nine coins were found in an otherwise empty cave, hidden under a large rock. "It appears the people first hid their money before fleeing to caves farther in." Eshel said, adding that the money was a significant enough sum to buy a house but was abandoned because it was useless in the barren desert. The coins will be displayed to the public at Jerusalem's Israel Museum.
London
'Londiniensium' plaque unearthed
A 2,000 year old stone plaque engraved with the oldest roman naming of London has been unearthed during the excavation of a building site. Experts believe the 12 inch by 16 inch stone plaque, engraved with the word "Londiniensium", is the earliest known physical proof of the capital's original Roman name. Dating from around AD 150, the remarkably well-preserved stone was discovered on a building site for new homes in Southwark, south London. The plaque will be displayed at the Museum of London. Experts believe it is a dedication from Tiberinius Celerianus, the morites, or chief trade negotiator from the area.
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