First Issue to Carry the Portrait of a Jewish King

248, Lot: 312. Estimate $500. Sold for $8000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

JUDAEA, Herodians. Herod IV Philip, with Augustus. 4 BCE-34 CE. Æ (22mm, 8.40 g, 1h). Caesarea Philippi (Panias) mint. Dated RY 5 (1/2 CE). KAICAPIOC CEBACTOY, bare head of Augustus right / Bare head of Herod Philip right; L-E (date) across field. Meshorer 95 var. (obv. legend); Hendin 1219 var. (same); RPC 4938.2 (this coin). Fine, brown patina, edge split. Extremely rare.

From the J.S. Wagner Collection.

This issue was the first to carry the portrait of a Jewish King. David Hendin (p. 257) notes: “Philip was able to immortalize his face on his coins largely because so few Jews lived in the territories over which he ruled. Jews would have taken this act as an insult and violation of the Mosaic Law against ‘graven images’.”