Ave!

Judean Kingdom, Herod Agrippa I, 37 - 44 A.D.

Æ Prutah; each at ca. 17-19mm

Con/ After appropriate cleaning Good Fine; Nearly all are typically struck off center and with beveled edges. All have been lightly semi-cleaned and feature earthen deposits

Obv/ AΓPIΠA BACIΛEWC (King Agrippa); umbrella-like canopy with fringes

Rev/ Three heads of barley between two leaves, L - ς (year 6) divided across field

Ref/ Hendin 6274, Meshorer TJC 120, RPC I 4981, SNG ANS 262, Sofaer 153

Seller's Note/ Herod Agrippa was certainly one of the most colorful characters to ever trod the streets of ancient Rome. A charmer, a rogue and always deeply in debt, Agrippa spent much of his boyhood at the imperial court in Rome and was close to both Caligula and Claudius. One of Claudius' first acts as emperor was a treaty guaranteeing Agrippa's kingdom, with the title "Great King," thus Agrippa became one of the most powerful kings of the east but still that wasn't enough for him as not long after he began to expand his armies, build new border fortresses, and make treaties with kingdoms as far away as Persia. Not good...

Mentioned in the New Testament, Agrippa had James, the brother of John, executed (Acts 12:1-2) and imprisoned Peter (Acts 12:3-5).

Further in Acts 12:20-23 there is a description of his sudden untimely and very suspicious death:

Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him in a body; and after winning over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for a reconciliation, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and delivered a public address to them. The people kept shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!” And immediately, because he had not given the glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Yikes!

Remember, the listed cost is per coin, not for all seen in the photo!