One of the coins, depicting the Temple's seven-branched menorah, was minted in Hasmonean-ruled Jerusalem, while the other, the second of its kind ever found, was minted in ancient Ashkelon.
Two rare and ancient coins allegedly smuggled from Israel were returned to the country by the United States earlier this week the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) revealed on Wednesday.
The coins were formally repatriated during a handover ceremony in New York City on Monday following an international operation conducted by the IAA’s Theft Prevention Unit in cooperation with Homeland Security and the Antiquities Trafficking Unit at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
After being illegally excavated and smuggled from Israel, the two coins were brought to the US and recently put up for auction.
Intelligence received of the potential sales by the IAA’s Theft Prevention Unit was quickly passed on to American authorities, which then led to the opening of an investigation against both the auction houses facilitating the sales and the sellers.
Evidence was rapidly collected and the two coins were confiscated from the auction house in order to be returned to Israel.
One of the coins, depicting the seven-branched menorah that stood in the Temple in Jerusalem on one side, was minted during the reign of the last Hasmonean king, Mattathias Antigonus, who ruled in Jerusalem from 40 to 37 BCE.
This is not only one of the earliest artistic renditions of the menorah, but is the only Jewish coin to depict the seven-branched candelabrum.
On its other side, the coin bears a depiction of the showbread table, another sacred object used in the Temple.
According to the IAA, Antigonus's choice as king and high priest to portray distinctly Jewish symbols on coins minted during his reign most likely stemmed from his desire to gain support from his subjects as he struggled against his rival Herod, who enjoyed the Romans’ political and military support.
Due to the coin’s rarity and as the last coin marking Hasmonean independence, coins of its type are defined as an “Item of National Importance” and are banned from being exported outside of Israel.
The second coin returned to Israel is a silver tetradrachm dating to the Persian period, over 2500 years ago, that was minted in Ascalon (modern day Ashkelon).
It is the second of its kind ever to be found, making it one of the rarest ancient coins that were minted in Israel. The other coin of its kind is housed in the Israel Museum’s coin collection.
Much like the Hasmonean coin, it is banned from being removed from Israel due to its rarity.
Its design is inspired by the ancient Athenian tetradrachm – the standard currency in the Eastern Mediterranean during this period.
One side of the coin depicts the helmeted Greek goddess Athena, while the other side portrays an owl spreading its wings. In the upper right corner above the owl are the letters “Aleph” and “Nun” written in Phoenician script – an abbreviation for the name of its mint, Ascalon.
Antiquities smuggling: A dangerous international phenomenon
“These extraordinary coins represent an important piece of history that is finally coming home,” said Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, chief of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit at the handover ceremony. “Furthermore, they represent an extraordinary partnership between the Antiquities Trafficking Unit in New York and the Israel Antiquities Authority. This is a partnership that should serve as a model for the return of looted cultural heritage around the world.”
Dr. Eitan Klein, Deputy Director of the Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit, who represented the country at the repatriation ceremony in New York, noted that the illegal antiquities trade is a widespread international phenomenon that requires international cooperation between countries and enforcement agencies to end.
The illegal antiquities trade is a “distressing international phenomenon, which constitutes an economic engine promoting antiquities looting and untold damage to cultural heritage assets,” echoed Ilan Hadad, an archaeologist and inspector in charge of antiquities commerce at the IAA’s Theft Prevention Unit.
“For the sake of money, thousands of years old antiquities from the State of Israel are looted, smuggled and sold abroad,” he said, noting that the IAA is diligently working to fight the phenomenon in order to “preserve and protect the historical heritage of the State of Israel.”
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu praised the coins’ return and the US’s cooperation “not only in the security arena, but also to bring home our historical story.”
“The theft of antiquities is an attempt to erase this history of ours and cut us off from our roots. They will not succeed,” Eliyahu said. “We will continue to act resolutely together with partners around the world to stop this phenomenon and to protect our heritage.”