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In 66 A.D., while Nero was Emperor of Rome, the last Roman Procurator
Florian was accused of stealing from the Temple. To mock him,
protestors took up a collection of coins for the relief of the "poverty-
stricken" Procurator. Showing a rather poor sense of humor, Florian sent
troops to put down the disorder. This led to a full-scale rebellion. The
Roman troops eventually surrendered, but were killed anyway. By now,
the rebellion had grown to a full-scale war. The Jews in Jerusalem started
minting their own coins, with victory slogans, such as this Shekel. But
there was also fighting among the Jews, as the more extreme elements
took control from (and eliminated) the moderate leaders, under whom
the rebellion had started. Nero sent his distinguished general, Vespasian,
to stamp out the Jewish rebellion. But political troubles at home led Nero
to commit suicide, and Vespasian headed back to Rome to claim the
Emperorship for himself, leaving his son Titus in charge of the Judaean
campaign. Vespasian was ultimately successful in his quest for the
throne, and as Titus was also ultimately successful in crushing the
Judaean rebellion. As a finishing touch, the Temple where the last of the
Jewish rebels in Jerusalem had holed up was burned to the ground in 70
B.C.
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 empire. 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.
- (LC.416)
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