This genuine ancient coin has been set in a modern 18 karat gold ring. Born about 10 B.C., Agrippa I was the grandson of Herod the Great and his wife,...
This genuine ancient coin has been set in a modern 18 karat gold ring.
Born about 10 B.C., Agrippa I was the grandson of Herod the Great and his wife, Mariamne the Hasmonean, through whose blood he was linked to the earlier kings of Israel. His father Aristobolus was executed on Herod’s orders about 7 B.C. to ensure his support of Rome, the young prince Agrippa was educated at the imperial court, where he became friends with the future emperors Caligula and Claudius. Through these roman imperial connections, Agrippa was eventually granted kingship over the Jewish territories of his late uncles. At its peak, his kingdom equaled that of his grandfather Herod. Agrippa became religiously observant and was honored by his subjects. He died suddenly at Caesarea in 44 A.D. This dramatic coin was struck during the reign of Agrippa, intended for use in Judea. On one side it bears three ears of barley growing between two leaves, the barley symbolizing the Greek earth mother goddess Demeter. On the other side a fringed canopy appears, signifying Agrippa’s high rank as a ruler over and above territories which were ruled by mere kings. The umbrella image was taken from Persia where the high king sat during his audiences, sheltered beneath an umbrella. Mounted in a beautiful gold ring setting, this bronze coin is a dramatic and tangible link with the ancient heritage of the western world.