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Prutah - John Hyrcanus I
| Issuer | Judea |
|---|---|
| Year | 135 BC - 104 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central field occupied by a multi-line Paleo-Hebrew inscription arranged within a laurel wreath, reading 'Yehohanan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews.' A Greek letter Alpha (Α) appears above the inscription in the upper field. The wreath encircles the legend on all sides, its tied ends visible at the base. The lettering is rendered in the archaic Hebrew script characteristic of Hasmonean coinage, reflecting both the ruler's priestly authority and the bilingual cultural milieu of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Α יהוחנן הכהן הגד ל וחבר הי הודים (Translation: Yehohanan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews) |
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| Additional information |
John Hyrcanus I ruled as both High Priest and ethnarch following the assassination of his father Simon Maccabee in 134 BC, and these prutot represent the first systematic bronze coinage struck by a Hasmonean ruler with any regularity. The authority to mint was a politically charged act — Rome had long restricted coinage rights in client territories, and Hyrcanus carefully avoided silver, keeping his issues in bronze to sidestep direct confrontation with Roman monetary prerogatives.
The Hendin 6171 classification covers considerable die variation across a thirty-year reign, and specimens attributed to this type range widely in flan quality and strike centering as a consequence of rudimentary Jerusalemite mint conditions.