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Israel 1954 Utrecht vs. Berne Die 100 Prutah
Zohar
Posts: 6,629 ✭✭✭✭✭
While this series may not be of interest to many here, for me the purchase of this second MS-63 piece is quite fulfilling. Collecting the series with my late father as a kid, this one was always elusive, due to price and scarcity. We concluded that we are not likely to have one. Years went by, and my collecting focus had shifted to mostly Talers. In the past year, I decided to invest in the assembly of a high end set of the 1948-1957 Prutah series of the early statehood era.
The utrecht variety is one of the most famous rarities in the Israel trade coin series. The smaller wreath (farther from rim) variety, below right as compared with the Berne die, was struck using in the Royal Dutch Mint at utrecht. Sylvia Haffner writes: "The 1954 reduced size 100 Prutah was withdrawn from circulation shortly after issue when it was discovered that the similarity in size to the 50 Prutah led to confusion between the two. The number of coins destroyed is not available. The difference between the Berne and utrecht dies was not discovered until 1960, three years after the coins were released in 1957.
Only about 1,000 of the utrecht die variety are presently believed to exist. Most I have seen are in VF-XF condition.
Berne Die (Left), Utrecht (Right)
Diameter: 25.6 mm.
Weight: 7.3 gr.
Edge: Smooth.
Obverse: Palm tree; "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic.
Origin of motif: Bar-Kochba coin
(132 - 135 C.E.).
Reverse: The denomination "100 Prutah" and the date in Hebrew; two stylized olive branches.
Alloy: Steel 90%, nickel 10%.
Date of issue: April 21, 1955.
The utrecht variety is one of the most famous rarities in the Israel trade coin series. The smaller wreath (farther from rim) variety, below right as compared with the Berne die, was struck using in the Royal Dutch Mint at utrecht. Sylvia Haffner writes: "The 1954 reduced size 100 Prutah was withdrawn from circulation shortly after issue when it was discovered that the similarity in size to the 50 Prutah led to confusion between the two. The number of coins destroyed is not available. The difference between the Berne and utrecht dies was not discovered until 1960, three years after the coins were released in 1957.
Only about 1,000 of the utrecht die variety are presently believed to exist. Most I have seen are in VF-XF condition.
Berne Die (Left), Utrecht (Right)
Diameter: 25.6 mm.
Weight: 7.3 gr.
Edge: Smooth.
Obverse: Palm tree; "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic.
Origin of motif: Bar-Kochba coin
(132 - 135 C.E.).
Reverse: The denomination "100 Prutah" and the date in Hebrew; two stylized olive branches.
Alloy: Steel 90%, nickel 10%.
Date of issue: April 21, 1955.
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Comments
I love this series too as you well know, although I'm not sure I can ever afford one of those...
Jim
Love Errors and Varieties
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WTB an error forum!
Re the Utrecht I don't believe I ever saw one graded higher - even pre-slab days the best I've seen would grade 63...nice pick up.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Do you happen to have the NGC or PCGS pop report for this type?
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
Sorry, I don't.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
Andy thanks for the intel
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
<< <i>Thanks Marc - so indeed there are only two NGC MS-63s which I now own. >>
Dang-it.... I knew I should have bid on that coin.