Obverse: Kantharos with scroll handles, flanked by a date. year 4; KAICAP
Reverse: Vine Leaf on branch with TIBERIOC above
Valerius Gratus served as procurator of Roman occupied Judea from 15-26
A.D. Appointed by Emperor Tiberius, his service, lasting almost a dozen
years, was the longest reign of any Roman procurator in Judea. It was during
this period that the seeds of growing Jewish unrest were sown, and Jesus
worked as an obscure carpenter in Galilee. As the procurator, Valerius was in
charge of the religious affairs of his subjects, the Jews, which included
appointing the high priests to the Temple. Valerius issued coins during the
majority of the duration of his service. His coins, like all those minted by
Roman procurators (with the exception of Pontius Pilate), featured no
symbols that were utterly abhorrent to the Jews. Two of his favored symbols
were the palm branch, a traditional symbol for the abundance of Judea that
was also utilized by the Roman for their “Judea Capta” series commemorating
the occupation of ancient Israel, and grapes or the grape vine, an important
staple of the Judean economy that also had a religious significance as a ritual
offering.
How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or your purse? What
eras and lands have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As
we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to
think of who touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to
after us. More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether contemporary currencies or artifacts of
a long forgotten empires. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an
expertise of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural details that are often
lacking in contemporary machine-made currencies. The struggle of the
Jewish people to rule their homeland, as represented by this coin, has finally
come to an end in modern times. This coin reconnects us with the past, with
those who fought and struggled for their freedom against an oppressive
Empire almost two thousand year ago.
