[Avodah] Sheqel Kesef Coins in Anitiquity

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Jan 12, 2023 at 12:00:30PM +1100, Rabbi Meir G. Rabi via Avodah wrote:
> Chazal identify coins were minted picturing an old man and woman on one
> side - Rashi (Bava Kama 97b) explains Yitzchak and Rivka, and Avraham and
> Sara [this must have been AFTER Avraham A begged HKBH to differentiate him
> from his son - until then they looked like identical twins]

Does it say anywhere that the coins were made in their era?

It quotes a tannaitic statement about a Matbeia shel Yerushalayim and a
Matbeia shel Avraham Avinu and what they looked like. Since Avraham is
on the coin, a "coin of Avraham" is only telling you what's on the coin,
not who owned or coined it. The names fit the descriptions.

Why would Chazal have a statement about these matbei'os? Perhaps they were
privately minted medalions, and thus an interesting middle case between
state-minted kesef usable for machatzis hasheqel and a plain boring asimon.
Really, I don't know.

The Avraham coin is a list of "monitin" in Bereishis Rabba 39
https://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_Rabbah.39.11 , the Y-m coin is not.
"Monitin" is from the same shoresh as the English words "mint" and
"monetary", but may also be related to monument, because the meaning of
"fame" or "reputation" took over the original etymology. Which is why
went with "medalion".

Either way, these coins / medalions also aren't particularly described
as the contemporary with the person they honor.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Nearly all men can stand adversity,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   but if you want to test a man's character,
Author: Widen Your Tent      give him power.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                    -Abraham Lincoln