GERMANY JEWISH WAR PSEUDO-SHEKEL – PIECE WITH EXCEPTIONAL PROVENANCE TO TWO GREAT DUTCH NUMISMATISTS – VF WORLD COIN (Inv. 20887)

$850.00

20887. GERMANY. Ca. 19th CENTURY.
Base metal (Lead ?) “Pseudo–Shekel,” 10.98 g, 35 mm.
Obv. Censer with smoke, garbled inscription. Rev. Branch, garbled inscription.
Kisch 27; more generally see Ira Rezak, “Genuine Imitations: Jewish Use of Pseudo–Coins,” Israel Numismatic Journal 15 (2003–6), pp. 152–169.
VF, with custom presentation holder inscribed with a dedication in Dutch.

This is an example of a popular token struck in Germany and other European countries. It was generally used as a memento of the so–called “Thirty Pieces of Silver,” the coins said to have been paid to betray Christ. These relics were visited by pilgrims, especially in Görlitz in Germany, and originally such tokens were designed to be sold to visitors. The types are generally based on shekels of the First Revolt, but the designs and legends are generally misunderstood and inaccurately rendered.
This specimen is especially interesting due to its accompanying presentation “box” with a Dutch dedication that translates: “Gift of the heirs of Mr. C. Hofstede de Groot thanks to the help of Mr. A.O. van Kerkwijk at The Hague, 11 July 1931.” Cornelius Hofstede de Groot (1860–1930) was an eminent art collector, art historian, and museum curator. Adolf Octave van Kerkwijk (1873–1957) was a numismatist and director of the Royal Coin Cabinet in the Hague. Given what is written, it seems likely that the “pseudo–shekel” was presented as a gift to a here–unnamed person by the heirs of Hofstede de Groot with the assistance of van Kerkwijk.

A most interesting item that nearly a century ago passed through the hands of two famous Dutch antiquarians. It is extremely rare to come across any “pseudo–shekel” with a meaningful provenance, making this a remarkable find. (I wish to express my thanks to Dr. Ira Rezak who provided some of the background on these shekels and the translation of the dedication).