ISRAEL. Eight Piece Denomination Run of Specimens (Agora - 250 Pruta), JE 5709-5721 (1949-61), All PCGS Gold Shield Certified.1) Pruta, (1949), PCGS SP-62, KM-9, Variety with pearl.<p>2) 5 Pruta, (1949), PCGS SP-65 RB, KM-10, Variety with pearl.<p>3) 10 Pruta, (1949), PCGS SP-66 BN, KM-11, Variety with pearl.<p>4) 25 Pruta, (1949), PCGS SP-66, KM-12, Variety with pearl.<p>5) 50 Pruta, (1949), PCGS SP-63, KM-13.1, Variety without pearl.<p>6) 100 Pruta, (1949), PCGS SP-63, KM-14.<p>7) 250 Pruta, (1949), PCGS SP-65, KM-15, Variety with pearl.<p>8) Agora, (1961), PCGS SP-62, KM-24.1.<p>An impressive assortment from the Pinches Archives with virtually no tone on the aluminum, copper-nickel and nickel issues and attractive blue and lilac color that mixes with original red on the coppers.<p><em>When the Kings Norton Mint won a coinage contract from the Israeli Government in 1949 it was against intense competition from the Birmingham Mint and the British Royal Mint. Their success represented something of a coup, but there was one drawback. Most of the work undertaken by this Mint was sub-contracted to them by the Royal Mint, who supplied the engraved master dies. Since this source was impossible in this instance the Kings Norton Mint turned to John Pinches (Medallists) of London. This was a well-known family run business which had been in existence for over a century. Many of the Pinches family were expert die sinkers in their own right and employed others of a similar ilk. The firm did not possess the facilities to produce large quantities of coins but-instead opted to use a large heavy coining press suitable for the production of medallions. A book written by the second John Harvey Pinches (published in 1987) catalogues the many fine medallions produced by the llrm between 1840 and 1969. Much less well known is the firms ability to utilize their engraving skills in the creation of master dies for coinage purposes. In this manner, unobtrusively and efficiently, they assisted in servicing the currency demands of many a foreign country. It was customary that prior to handing over the dies to their customer, Pinches would strike a few specimens from them. This served the double purpose of testing the effectiveness of the dies and providing samples for their archive collection. </em><p><p><em>In 1969 the Franklin Mint of Philadelphia, U.S.A. took over. John Pinches (Medallists) Ltd. The firms extensive archive collection of historical medals and English and foreign coins, subsequently came up for sale in the London rooms of the auctioneers Glendinings. The archive sold in two parts on the 6th July 1988 and the 17th November 1988. The Israeli coins listed above originated from the second auction as part of Lot 454.</em><p>
