Only later in the fourth century BCE were real coins struck at Gaza and at other mints in the Holy Land (Ashdod, Ashkelon, Jerusalem, and Samaria). Except for their Semitic inscriptions, these silver coins (some of them among the most beautiful coins ever struck in the region) usually imitated their Athenian prototype. During this period the first Jewish coins, bearing the inscription YHD (Judea), were minted in Jerusalem.

In the time of Alexander the Great, gold, silver, and bronze coins were struck at Akko, but there is no certain evidence of minting elsewhere. During the third century BCE the policy of the Ptolemies was to allow no independent minting, yet surprisingly, Jewish coins, imitating Ptolemaic coins but with Hebrew inscriptions, were struck in Jerusalem.

Under the Seleucids in the second century BCE, several mints were active in Judea, and after the Hasmonean revolt at the end of the century, Jewish autonomous coins were again struck by at least four different Hasmonean rulers.

When Herod the Great came to power in 37 BCE, there began an era of Herodian minting that lasted until 100 CE. Most conspicuous for their beauty are the silver and bronze coins struck during the two Jewish wars against Romans.

The tragic conclusion of the Second Jewish War marks the end of Jewish coinage in ancient times.

'YHD' Obol of Judah Struck in Jerusalem

Obv. Lily Flower
Rev. Falcon with spread wings, head to r., on r., inscription in ancient Hebrew: YHD
Silver obol, approximate weight 0.35 gr. diam. 8.5 mm

This minute silver coin, minted in Jerusalem c. 350 BC, is one of the earliest Jewish coins as well as one of the artistic highlights of Jewish numismatics.

It depicts on the obverse a lily flower (fleur-de-lys). This white flower, the lilium candidum , is a symbol of purity and was regarded as the choicest among flowers. In the words of the prophet Hosea, the lily became the flower symbol of Israel: "I will be like the dew for Israel; he shall blossom like the lily" (Hosea 14, 6); and the lily was also allegorically referred to in the Song of Songs (Cant. 2 .1.) and as a favourite simile later in Hebrew poetry. This flower was also an important source of perfume, which was certainly used for sacred purposes and constituted one of the main kinds of spices used in ancient times. Though not found in profusion in Israel today, we may assume that it was once common in all parts of the country. The motif of the lily is apparently derived from the design which graced the capitals of the two main pillars which stood in front of the Temple - Jachin and Boaz. The lily became a popular motif in Jewish art of the Second Temple period and as so, it appears in other coins struck in Jerusalem during the second and first centuries BC under Antiochus VII, John Hyrcanus I and Alexander Jannaeus.

On the reverse side an image of a bird is portrayed. Zoologists cannot determine the exact species from the depiction; however, they suggest an identification of either a falcon or a hawk. The heraldic form of the bird is copied from contemporary coins of Asia Minor, which depict other birds, e. g. eagles, in a similar fashion.

Near the bird's head, the inscription YHD appears in ancient Hebrew script. Apparently this expression had a twofold meaning and indicates the name of the city Jerusalem as the capital ('Birta') of Judah the province ('Medinta'). This assumption is based on the fact that at the time of the minting of this coin and during the previous centuries YHD was the name of Jerusalem. In the book of Chronicles II, 26. 28, it is mentioned that Amaziah king of Judah was buried with his fathers in the city of Judah (769 BC.). There is no doubt that the 'city Judah' is Jerusalem, the burial place of Judean Kings. On the other hand Yehud was the current name of the province Judah during the fifth and fourth centuries BCE.

This specimen as well as other small coins bearing the YHD inscription were probably minted by the autonomous authority of the province, for if the Persian authorities had commissioned the coinage, they could have afforded to produce larger denominations.

Ca. 260 BCE
Silver hemiobl struck by the local authorities
in Jerusalem under Ptolemy II, depicting
the king's head and an eagle with
the Hebrew inscription YHDH (Judea).

Ca. 63-40 BCE
Bronze prutah of John Hyrcanus II
with ancient Hebrew script and a double cornucopia.

133 CE
Silver tetradrachma of Bar Kokhba,
depicting the facade of the Temple
in Jerusalem and the four species
for the Festival of the Tabernacles.