Ancient Jewish Coins: City Coins of Palestine
(66 - 268 CE)
In the first century, the Roman Empire granted many of the cities in its provinces the right to mint bronze coins. Silver coins were only minted in a few important cities outside of Rome. Coins were issued in Judaea/Palestine by 38 different cities, according to Meshorer, as follows (from North to South):
Coastal Cities: Ptolemais (Akko), Dora (Dor), Caesarea, Joppa (Yafo), Ascalon (Ashkelon), Gaza, Anthedon, Raphia
Inland Cities: Tiberias, Sepphoris (Sippori), Gaba, Nysa-Scythopolis, Samaria (Shomron-Sebaste), Neapolis (Shechem), Antipatris, Diospolis (Lod), Nicopolis (Emmaus), Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem), Eleutheropolis (Beth Govrin)
Cities of Transjordan: Panias, Philippopolis, Hippos (Susita), Canatha (Kenath), Abilla (Abel), Gadara (Gader), Adraa, Capitolias (Beth Reisha), Bostra (Beser), Dium, Pella (Pehal), Gerasa (Geresh), Philadelphia (Rabbat Ammon), Esbus (Heshbon), Medeba, Rabbath-Moba (Rabbath Moab), Charach-Moba (Kir Moab), Petra (Reqem)
The definition of “Palestinian” cities is somewhat subjective. The British Museum Catalog of Palestine coins tallies 16 cities in Galilee, Samaria and Judaea; Klimowsky lists 32 cities under the heading “Palestine;” and Rosenberger enumerates 22 cities in “Palestine” and 18 in “Eastern Palestine.”
While a scattering of city coins were minted earlier, the time of the First Revolt (66-70 CE) saw the initial pronounced production of city coins in Judaea ... and the number of mints blossomed after the defeat of the Jews in the Second Revolt (132-135 CE). The Ascalon Mint deserves special mention, since it produced coins almost continuously from about 375 BCE through 235 CE; one of its more interesting issues features the famous Cleopatra on a silver shekel.
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Shekel from Ascalon featuring Cleopatra, 47 BCE (City Coins, p.26, #40)
A few cities, with large Jewish populations - Neapolis and Sepphoris -- initially struck coins with Jewish symbols.
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Neapolis, Domitian 81 CE (City Coins, p. 48, 123)
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Sepphoris, Trajan 98-117 CE (City Coins, p. 36, 88)
Some historic coins - issued by Akko-Ptolemais, Aelia Capitolina- Jerusalem, Caesarea, etc. -- picture the Roman ceremonial founding of the city. The Emperor is shown in a cart pulled by a bull and ox, defining the boundary as the area enclosed by a plough in 24 hours.
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Aelia Capitolina, Hadrian 130 CE (City Coins, p. 60, 162)
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But the coins of these cities eventually joined with the others in depicting Roman gods, goddesses, temples, etc. One of the most interesting designs depicts a Roman temple, dedicated to the worship of Jupiter “The Supreme God,” which was erected on the former site of the Samaritan Temple atop Mt. Gerizim.
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Neapolis, Antoninus Pius 160 CE (City Coins, p. 48, 126)
This extensive series of Palestine city-coins finally came to an end during the reign of Gallienus (253-268 CE), when the Roman Empire disintegrated.
Sources: The Handbook of Biblical Numismatics