Authentic Ancient Maccabean (Hasmonean) Bronze Prutah Coin (103–76 BCE) in Engraved Olive Wood Box

This ancient bronze Prutah was minted in Jerusalem during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus, a Hasmonean king and high priest who ruled Judea from 103 to 76 B.C.E. As a descendant of the Maccabees, Jannaeus expanded Judean territory and asserted Jewish sovereignty, even while navigating tensions between Hellenistic influence and Jewish tradition. 🪙 Coin Features Material: Bronze Denomination: Prutah – a small coin used in everyday transactions. -Obverse Design: Eight-rayed star within a diadem or circle. Paleo-Hebrew inscription: יהונתן המלך – “Yehonatan the King,” using Jannaeus’s Hebrew name. -Reverse Design: Anchor symbol, a common motif in Hellenistic coinage. Greek inscription: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ – “Of King Alexander.” These bilingual inscriptions reflect the cultural duality of Judea under Hasmonean rule—asserting Jewish identity while engaging with the broader Hellenistic world.