Analytical Comparison with Other Year Three Silver Shekels
Because our shekel seems so unusual, we may find it useful to compare it to other shekels from Year Three. In particular, we should consider whether other coins can be found that have been stamped with the same dies, both obverse and reverse. This would provide additional evidence for the shekel's authenticity. If one cannot find such a match, this could lend support to the assumption that it is fraudulent in origin, or, at the very least, indicate that this artifact is indeed unique among existing Year Three shekels.
Of particular facility for making such comparisons is the "Menorah Coin Project," a website devoted to the collection of numerous coins and their classification according to the dies with which they were stamped. Relying on their image data, one may easily identify die used to stamp the obverse of our coin. The first die listed on the webpage could be easily recognized as the one corresponding to the shekel in the USC collection. The page specifically mentions two defects, the raised metal portion between the shin and the chalice and the defect to the left of the resh.
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Defect from USC's shekel Photo Courtesy of Dr. Bruce Zuckerman |
Dark metal spot to the left of the shin, USC's coin Photo Courtesy of Dr. Bruce Zuckerman
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Defect
below Several pictures of coins struck with the same die are displayed below.
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| http://www.menorahcoinproject.org/h662.htm |