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1/2 Prutah - Herod the Great
| Issuer | Judea |
|---|---|
| Year | 40 BC - 4 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Prutah |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Greek royal inscription filling the field in two lines, reading ΗΡWΔΟΥ ΒΑCΙΛΕΟC (King Herod), rendered in crude hammered lettering characteristic of Herodian bronze coinage. The legend is the primary design element, occupying most of the flan within a plain border. The script is slightly irregular due to the hand-struck technique typical of Judaean coins of this period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ΗΡWΔΟΥ ΒΑCΙΛΕΟC (Translation: King Herod) |
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| Additional information |
Herod ruled as a client king under Roman authority, his legitimacy always contested — he was Idumean by descent, and a substantial portion of the Jewish population never accepted him as a rightful king. These small bronzes were almost certainly struck to meet everyday market demands in a territory where coinage of this denomination had been intermittent at best. Hendin 1191 is among the more frequently encountered of Herod's issues, though the fabric is notoriously uneven, with many specimens showing off-center strikes attributable to poorly prepared flans rather than die misalignment.