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DOI article:Cieciela̢g, Jerzy: Countermarked coins of roman prefects of Judaea
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22228#0041
Countermarked Coins of Roman Prefects of Judaea
The first countermarked coin to be published was a piece of Valerius
Gratus (15-26 AD)5; today we know 20 such coins issued by Gratus and
Pontius Pilate (26-36 AD)6. Yakov Meshorer suggested that countermar-
king was used solely on coins from before 29/30 AD7, but the latest
known specimen of countermarking is a coin of Pontius Pilate struck in
31 /32 AD8. A countermark in the form of a palm branch and some letters
can be seen only on one type of bronzes - issued early in the history of
the province of Judaea - and usually equivalent to Roman cjuadranses or
Jewish perutah.
Countermarks were mainly stamped on the reverse9, often in its lower
field. In many instances, the axis of the countermark is opposed to that
of the coin, although it is not a rule. A elear majority of countermarks are
found on worn-out coins, in a flattened area remaining after a previous
representation has been worn out. Yet it should be remembered that there
are some countermarked specimens that did not suffer wear. The coun-
termark stamp could be round or oval-shaped with diameters from 5 to
7 mm.
Ali countermarks that have been read bear the same initials: CTI.
The letter to the left of the palm branch seems at first to be a Latin C,
while the one on the right is doubtless a Greek II10. A. Spijkerman put
forward a hypothesis that the CTI is abbreviation for „Palaestinae"11, while
Y. Meshorer argued that the countermarks came from the reign of Agrippa I
5 A. SPIJKERMAN, „Some Rare Jewish Coins", Studii Biblicii Francisami, Liber Annuus 13 (1963),
p. 312. The coin was again published by Y. MESHORER, Ancient Jewish Coins in the Second Tempie
Period, Tel-Aviv, 1967, no. 229a.
6For a fuli catalog of all twenty known countermarked pieces see LÓNNQVIST, „New Vistas on
the Countermarked Coins of the Roman Prefects of Judaea" pp. 68-70.
7 Y. MESHORER, Ancient Jewish Coinage, II, Dix Hills, New York, 1982, p. 185. For the revised view
see IDEM, „Ancient Jewish Coinage. Addendum I," Israel Numismatic Journal, 11 (1990-91), p. 112.
8LÓNNQVIST, „New Vistas on the Countermarked Coins of the Roman Prefects of Judaea", p. 70.
9In the first nine countermarked coins (issued in 17/18-24/25 AD), the countermarks are placed
only on the reverses; on four morę coins (issued in 29/30 AD), countermarks are found on both
obverse and reverse; finally, the last six pieces (issued in 30/31-31/32 AD) have countermarks on
the obverse only. Unfortunately, we can offer no explanation for this peculiar irregularity.
10MESHORER, Ancient Jewish Coinage, II, p. 223, notę 32. Meshorer rightly points out that on one
coin of Valerius Gratus, the big Greek letter P is reversed. We can therefore confidently limit ourselves
to the abbreviation CP as we reject another, suggested by HOWGEGO, „Greek Imperial Counter-
marks", p. 178, entrm. 386, of a CU which, in the light of this discussion, is impossible.
11 SPIJKERMAN, „Some Rare Jewish Coins", p. 312.
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The first countermarked coin to be published was a piece of Valerius
Gratus (15-26 AD)5; today we know 20 such coins issued by Gratus and
Pontius Pilate (26-36 AD)6. Yakov Meshorer suggested that countermar-
king was used solely on coins from before 29/30 AD7, but the latest
known specimen of countermarking is a coin of Pontius Pilate struck in
31 /32 AD8. A countermark in the form of a palm branch and some letters
can be seen only on one type of bronzes - issued early in the history of
the province of Judaea - and usually equivalent to Roman cjuadranses or
Jewish perutah.
Countermarks were mainly stamped on the reverse9, often in its lower
field. In many instances, the axis of the countermark is opposed to that
of the coin, although it is not a rule. A elear majority of countermarks are
found on worn-out coins, in a flattened area remaining after a previous
representation has been worn out. Yet it should be remembered that there
are some countermarked specimens that did not suffer wear. The coun-
termark stamp could be round or oval-shaped with diameters from 5 to
7 mm.
Ali countermarks that have been read bear the same initials: CTI.
The letter to the left of the palm branch seems at first to be a Latin C,
while the one on the right is doubtless a Greek II10. A. Spijkerman put
forward a hypothesis that the CTI is abbreviation for „Palaestinae"11, while
Y. Meshorer argued that the countermarks came from the reign of Agrippa I
5 A. SPIJKERMAN, „Some Rare Jewish Coins", Studii Biblicii Francisami, Liber Annuus 13 (1963),
p. 312. The coin was again published by Y. MESHORER, Ancient Jewish Coins in the Second Tempie
Period, Tel-Aviv, 1967, no. 229a.
6For a fuli catalog of all twenty known countermarked pieces see LÓNNQVIST, „New Vistas on
the Countermarked Coins of the Roman Prefects of Judaea" pp. 68-70.
7 Y. MESHORER, Ancient Jewish Coinage, II, Dix Hills, New York, 1982, p. 185. For the revised view
see IDEM, „Ancient Jewish Coinage. Addendum I," Israel Numismatic Journal, 11 (1990-91), p. 112.
8LÓNNQVIST, „New Vistas on the Countermarked Coins of the Roman Prefects of Judaea", p. 70.
9In the first nine countermarked coins (issued in 17/18-24/25 AD), the countermarks are placed
only on the reverses; on four morę coins (issued in 29/30 AD), countermarks are found on both
obverse and reverse; finally, the last six pieces (issued in 30/31-31/32 AD) have countermarks on
the obverse only. Unfortunately, we can offer no explanation for this peculiar irregularity.
10MESHORER, Ancient Jewish Coinage, II, p. 223, notę 32. Meshorer rightly points out that on one
coin of Valerius Gratus, the big Greek letter P is reversed. We can therefore confidently limit ourselves
to the abbreviation CP as we reject another, suggested by HOWGEGO, „Greek Imperial Counter-
marks", p. 178, entrm. 386, of a CU which, in the light of this discussion, is impossible.
11 SPIJKERMAN, „Some Rare Jewish Coins", p. 312.
37