Mildenberg-39 (Obv. 7, Rev. 18).VERY RARE. "Shimon" (in Hebrew), bunch of grapes hanging from branch; Reverse: "Year Two of the Freedom of Israel" (in Hebrew) fluted one-handled jug at left, palm branch at right. Darkly toned good surfaces with a well struck jug, though the areas of strike weakness reveal this piece to be a great treasure. When the obverse is rotated ninety degrees clockwise the outline of Vespasians bust can be deduced at two to four oclock along with a portion of the legend. It is the reverse die that truly elevates this piece, when held for viewing and rotated approximately forty-five degrees counterclockwise, at six oclock the letters "AEA" come into view, along with the bare outline of Judaeas robe. The historical significance of this piece is immense. The Romans occupied Judaea and violently crushed the Jews during the First Jewish War of A.D. 66-70. The Roman general of this campaign (Vespasian) upon his ascent to the highest office of the empire would strike coins that celebrated his victory and the humiliation of the Jewish people. Decades later a new Jewish revolt would begin, this time against the emperor Hadrian. The vengeful Jews took an opportunity to strike a psychological blow against the Romans by using their coinage as base material for the hopeful Jewish nation. It must have felt empowering for the Jews to take the Judaea Capta types and obliterate them, replaced with their religious symbols. The struggles of the past, vindicated and reversed by this new generation. They remade a symbol of oppression into a show of strength. Their courage echoes through the ages, permanently preserved in this disk of metal. Vastly important and certain to hold a place of pride in the next distinguished collection it enters.，NGC Ch EF, Strike: 3/5 Surface: 4/5...From the Michael Druck Collection.
