Ancient Coins of The Bible

This is one of those unique times that we are able to offer such a distinguished collection of five “Ancient Coins of the Bible” dating from 450 B.C. to 218 A.D. These coins represent some of the most important coins of ancient times and the finest set of its kind we've ever had the privilege of offering.

Most coins in this collection have tangible links to passages from the Bible or to Roman leaders instrumental to the spread of Christianity. In addition, every coin is certified "Genuine" by NGC.

Own Ancient Coins Carefully Researched by Experts
Thanks to the extraordinary decades of research by author Kenneth Bressett, collectors now have an official guidebook to ancient coins titled– Money of the Bible. This thoroughly researched numismatic guide introduces coin collectors to the fascinating world of ancient coins used in the Holy Land. By connecting the geography, art, history, and religion associated with each coin, Mr. Bressett’s book documents the ever-changing face of Israel’s political landscape across Biblical times.

Out of his detailed research, each of us can learn about ancient coins dating back to the first true coins minted in Lydia circa 630 B.C. Moving forward, the collection we're offering dates to a coin minted as early as 450 B.C.

Imagine Owning Coins from Old Testament Times of 450 B.C.
Austin Rare Coins has used the new Money of the Bible book to document the release of this major collection of “Ancient Coins of the Bible." This collection of five ancient coins is a sampling that begins with a Persian Silver Sigloi coin dating back to 450 B.C.

The Babylonian Empire ruthlessly destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. in the time of the Prophet Ezekiel. Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and Jews were taken as slaves to Babylon including the most famous Bible character of these times, Daniel of "Daniel and the Lion's Den" story.

Persia’s King Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. Later, Persian king Artaxerxes, in a remarkable historical act, repatriated the Jews back to the Holy Land. He supplied thousands of pounds of silver, much in the form of these coins.

In Ezra 8:26-27, we read the following: "I consigned it to them in these amounts: silver, six hundred and fifty talents; silver utensils, one hundred gold; one hundred talents; twenty golden bowls valued at a thousand darics; two vases of excellent polished bronze, as precious as gold."

The King's gifts funded the return of the Jews to the Holy Land and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple.

Coins Minted From Alexander-the-Great to Jesus Lifetime
Now we move forward to the Greek invasion of Judea. Our remarkable collection of “Ancient Coins of the Bible” also includes a Greek Silver Drachm, shown at left, honoring Alexander the Great circa 336-323 B.C. and used throughout the lands he conquered, including Israel.

Judea - Widow's Mite Coin
Jesus speaks directly of these two small coins that the widow gave at the Temple as all she had. We've included an example of this well-known coin which is a Bronze Prutah. Over the centuries, the nickname of Widow's mite has stuck with this coin. Like all the coins in this collection, our Bronze Prutah actually circulated in the Holy Land in the time of Christ, having been minted circa 130-37 B.C. Coins like these were used for centuries.

It has always been of utmost importance to collectors of Ancient coins that they know and are guaranteed their coins are real, authentic coins of the times. All of the coins in our "Ancient Coins of the Bible" set are "Genuine" and certified by NGC, one of America's most respected rare coin grading firms.

Set Even Includes a Pontius Pilate Coin
Our collection also includes a coin of one of the most notorious characters in the Bible, Roman governor Pontius Pilate. History remembers him as the ruler that turned over Jesus for crucifixion and for two small Roman coins minted in 30-31 A.D. during his reign. His coin is shown at right.

A Large, Magnificent Julia Maesa Roman Coin Rounds Out This Collection
Finally, we were able to add as a bonus, a coin of Christian significance minted after New Testament times– a Roman Julia Maesa Silver Denarius circa 218 to 222 A.D. History notes her as among the most important women ever to exercise power behind the throne in the Roman empire, and as a powerful influence to curtail the Roman persecution of Christians. We like this coin for its large silver size and meticulously detailed design.

All Coins Certified Genuine and Authentic
Our remarkable collection of five Ancient Coins of the Bible includes coins that are some 2,456 years old. It’s taken archaeologists and numismatists years to uncover, procure, authenticate as genuine, and assemble this collection for release by Austin Rare Coins.

Each coin has been individually identified, certified as authentic, and is guaranteed by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation of America. NGC is highly respected in the coin collecting community and is the leading grading company in rare coins.

For the long-term preservation of this collection, each coin has been individually encapsulated and sealed in a protective NGC holder along with the coin’s full description, approximate date of minting, and NGC’s unique registration number. Inside the holder, NGC states that each coin is “Genuine” as described.

A Surprisingly Affordable Set Price
You might expect such a collection like this to be valued at thousands of dollars, But, thanks to the buying clout of Austin Rare Coins, we have purchased every set available to us at a low, low price and will now release them exclusively to our Preferred Collectors for $995 for each set of five coins.

Includes Gorgeous Display Oak Case
To add to your enjoyment of this five coin set of Ancient Coins of the Bible, we will also include a free beautifully hand-crafted oak display case that is velvet lined inside. Finely detailed right down to the beveled glass, this handsome display case will show off this collection in a style suitable for any office or the finest homes in America.

The Gift of a Lifetime
As an Easter gift for a loved one, this collection of Ancient Coins of the Bible is totally unique. Whether you acquire these for friends, family, children, or grandchildren this is truly a gift of a lifetime. No doubt, you’ll be remembered for your thoughtfulness for generations to come.

Once the limited quantity we have on hand is sold out, we don’t believe we will ever be able to offer a collection of ancient coins quite like this again. We must restrict orders to first come, first served. To guarantee immediate delivery or for large orders you must call 1-800-668-9419 and speak to one of our Rare Coin Specialists.

It is indeed our pleasure to offer our clients this special collection of five Ancient Coins of the Bible during this Easter Season. Full descriptions of each coin, along with enlarged photos, are detailed below.

History of Coins Relative to "Ancient Coin of the Bible"

Coins were invented in the Kingdom of Lydia, in what is now western Turkey in about 650-600 B.C. (They were independently invented in China and India in about 600 B.C.)

In the "Archaic period" coins were fairly crude by later standards. They were mostly small disk-shaped lumps of gold, silver, or bronze, hand-stamped with a geometric design or symbol to indicate the city of origin. Later, they became more standardized as flat circular objects. They often represented a patron deity of the issuing city. Animal symbols such as the bees (sacred to Artemis) of Ephesus, turtles of Aegina, or the owl (sacred to Athena) of Athens were also widely used.

The Greek world had at least a hundred self-governing cities and most of these issued their own coins. Some coins circulated widely and were used in inter-city trade. The Persian Silver Sigloi shown below is our earliest example of early Persian coinage dating to about 450 B.C.

Persia - Sardeis in Lydia
Silver Sigloi Circa 450 B.C.

The Babylonian Empire ruthlessly destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C., a time of the Prophet Ezekiel. Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Jews were taken as slaves to Babylon, including the famous Bible character Daniel. The story of "Daniel and the Lion's Den" is well known from this time period.

Persia’s King Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. Later, Persian King Artaxerxes, in a rare historical act, repatriated Jews back to the Holy Land. He supplied thousands of pounds of silver, much in the form of these coins, Silver Sigloi shown at right.

In Ezra 8:26-27, we read the following: “I consigned it to them in these amounts: silver, six hundred and fifty talents; silver utensils, one hundred gold; one hundred talents; twenty golden bowls valued at a thousand darics; two vases of excellent polished bronze, as precious as gold.”

From 516- 425 B.C., the second Temple in Jerusalem was built.

Greek – Alexander the Great
Silver Drachm 338-323 B.C.

In 333 B.C. Alexander the Great conquered Judea and the Land remained a Jewish theocracy under Syrian-based Seleucid rulers. Commerce flourished throughout the Mediterranean under Greek rule and coins became more standardized and widely circulated.

The silver coinage of Alexander the Great carried the hero's image as shown at right and was in use throughout his vast kingdom, which included the Holy Land.

The "Attic" standard Drachm of 4.3 g was common in those days. Over time, Athens' plentiful supply of silver from the mines at Laurion and its increasing dominance in trade made this the pre-eminent standard.

It's common to see junk pieces of this coin in which the images are almost totally non-distinguishable. We are proud that the Alexander the Great coins in our release are of such quality as to clearly show the images, writings, and the date.

141-37 B.C. Hasmonean Period of Jewish Rule
When the Jews were prohibited from practicing Judaism and their Temple was desecrated as part of an effort to impose Greek-oriented culture and customs on the entire population, the Jews rose in revolt in 166 B.C. First led by Mattathias of the priestly Hasmonean family and then by his son Judah the Maccabee, the Jews entered Jerusalem and purified the Temple in 164 B.C., events commemorated each year by the festival of Hanukkah.

Judea - Widow's Mite
Bronze Prutah Circa 130-37 B.C.
This is clearly one of the most memorable coins of the Bible. Jesus speaks directly of this coin. In Luke 21:1-4 we read the following:

"But looking up he saw the rich who were putting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. And he said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all.”

Two small, dime sized, bronze coins were all the widow had–and she gave it all. Coins that the poor widow gave to the Temple were small lepta, or “mites” that represented much of her sustenance.

Over the centuries, this often told Bible story has helped us to rename these coins as the "Widow's Mite." These often discussed, yet seldom seen coins, are fascinating collector pieces that cannot be overlooked for their direct connection to the the times of Christ.

Bronze is a metal that does not easily stand the test of time. Coins from this era will vary in their patina, shape, and size. Notice how this example was struck off-center.

Judea - Pontius Pilate
Bronze Prutah A.D. 30-31

Another example of a small bronze coin from Jesus' time is the Bronze Prutah minted in Judea. Pontius Pilate was the governor of the Roman Province of Judea from 26 until 36 A.D. He is best known as the man who presided over the trial of Jesus and ordered his crucifixion, instigating the Passion.
Pontius Pilate, would have been relatively unknown if it were not for this coin and his part in the Crucifixion.

Jesus and his Disciples were quite familiar with these Judea coins. In Matthew 27:1-2 we read the following:

"When it was morning, all the chief priest and the elders of the people took council against Jesus to put him to death. They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the governor."

The quality of examples of these bronze coins varies. The photograph at right was provided to us courtesy of the author of Money of the Bible. However, examples we have personally seen from the coins we are offering had more clearly defined details.

Rome - Julia Maesa
Silver Denarius A.D. 218-222

Our final coin is a Roman silver example. Julia Maesa was the grandmother of Elagabalus, a depraved emperor who tried to impose his religious beliefs on the Roman Empire. Julia Maesa was far more tolerant of other religions and was instrumental in later curtailing Christian persecution.

This coin was minted after New Testament times. However, this coin is a large, silver Roman coin, honoring a woman whose life directly changed the lives of many Christians of her day.

This coin honoring Julia Maesa is prized by us for its historical value, fine attention to detail, and original design. It was also rare that an ancient coin honored a woman.

We continue to be amazed with all the coins in this collection. Many are finely detailed with highly legible letters and dates on each coin. This is amazing when you consider that they range from 2,406 years old to this coin that is some 1,784 years old.

These coins are not sold individually, but are exclusively offered as a set.

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