In 66 A.D., while Nero was Emperor of Rome, the last Roman Procurator Florian was accused of stealing from the Temple. To mock him, protestors took up a collection of coins for the relief of the "poverty-stricken" Procurator. Showing a rather poor sense of humor, Florian sent troops to put down the disorder. This led to a full-scale rebellion. The Roman troops eventually surrendered, but were killed anyway. By now, the rebellion had grown to a full-scale war. The Jews in Jerusalem started minting their own coins, with victory slogans, such as this Shekel. But there was also fighting among the Jews, as the more extreme elements took control from (and eliminated) the moderate leaders, under whom the rebellion had started. Nero sent his distinguished general, Vespasian, to stamp out the Jewish rebellion. But political troubles at home led Nero to commit suicide, and Vespasian headed back to Rome to claim the Emperorship for himself, leaving his son Titus in charge of the Judaean campaign. Vespasian was ultimately successful in his quest for the throne, and as Titus was also ultimately successful in crushing the Judaean rebellion. As a finishing touch, the Temple where the last of the Jewish rebels in Jerusalem had holed up was burned to the ground in 70 B.C.

How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of who touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to after us. More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time and place, whether contemporary currencies or artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural details that are often lacking in contemporary machine-made currencies. The struggle of the Jewish people to rule their homeland, as represented by this coin, has finally come to an end in modern times. This coin reconnects us with the past, with those who fought and struggled for their freedom against an oppressive empire almost two thousand year ago.