Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 CE. He is best known today for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and (maybe reluctantly) ordered his crucifixion. This makes the coins of Pontius Pilate especially interesting for those who collect Roman Procurator coinage.
Coins by Pontius Pilate
By Dave L Clark
Have you a spouse or good friend who is a coin collector and you would like to get a special gift for him or her? There’s a coin most people are not familiar with that is full of historical significance! It’s one actually minted by Pontius Pilate! I first discovered these coins were available from a trip to Israel I took in 2009.
From later research, I found that Pontius Pilate minted three coins in the years 29,30 and 31. What do they look like? They are very small, somewhat smaller than a dime and light in weight. They are made out of bronze. The printing was not usually exact because apparently they were made by successive blows from a hammer onto a special mold
They have some interesting designs that are historical in nature. For example, the one of year 29 shows what is called a simpulum, which was a utensil used by Roman priests during their religious ceremonies. This little laddle, provided with shaft and handle, allowed the priests to taste the wine which they poured on the head of an animal destined for sacrifice. Above this image are letters signifying Tiberius Emperor, Tiberius being the Roman emperor at that time. On the reverse side of the year 29 coin is three barley which probably represented harvests of the Jewish people under Pilate’s jurisdiction. Above the barley are letters representing Tiberius’ wife, Empress Julia.
The coins of years 30 and 31 also have interesting images. They display what is called the Lituus. This was the wooden staff which the Roman priest held in his right hand which he could raise toward the heavens, invoking the gods and making his predictions. On the reverse side is a laurel wreath, representing Roman power and victory.The only difference between the year 30 and 31 coins is the dates. The year 30 coin has the letters LIZ, which in the Hellenistic system meant the 16th year following beginning of the reign of Tiberius.The coin of the year 31 has the letters LIH, meaning the 17th year following the start of the reign of Tiberius. It is thought these letters were Greek rather than Roman due to very strong influence of the Greek culture.
As you can see, there are many interesting aspects of these coins, perhaps a fine prize for the coin collector. You can easily find them by going to eBay a putting in a search under Pontius Pilate. You should find several coins for sale. I would look for one that has good images on it. If you do some shopping, you should find one between $100 and $125. You might even want to include a reference book with your gift. I would recommend the book “The Coins of Pontius Pilate” by Phillippe Fontanille and Sheldon Cosline.
Find my book to assist in reading the Bible on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/apttb.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Coins-by-Pontius-Pilate&id=8128285] Coins by Pontius Pilate
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