Judaea — Hasmonean Dynasty
Alexander Jannaeus (reigned 103–76 BCE)
AE Prutah (15 mm, Jerusalem Mint)
This bronze prutah was struck in Jerusalem under King Alexander Jannaeus, a Hasmonean ruler who combined political and religious authority in late Second Temple Judaea. The obverse bears a schematic lily device with a surrounding Paleo-Hebrew legend naming Yehonatan the King, and the reverse depicts an anchor within a circle with a surrounding Greek legend BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY (“of King Alexander”). These bilingual inscriptions reflect the intersection of Jewish iconographic traditions and Hellenistic administrative forms in Hasmonean coinage. The coin corresponds to catalogue reference GBC 6, 6184 and was previously miscatalogued as a half-prutah (GBC 6, 6183) before correction. Certified VF (NGC) and sold as Heritage Auctions, Auction 231534 (20 Aug 2015), Lot 63045.
