half shequel coin

The Half Shekel coin is inspired by a coin from the late First Temple period. This coin, at the equivalent of half a shekel, was given as a donation to the Temple for the purchase of sacrifices offered on behalf of the whole nation. On the inside of the coin is a branch from which three pomegranates emerge and an inscription in ancient Hebrew: `Holy Jerusalem'; On the back is the inscription `Half Shekel`, in the middle of the back is the Omer Cup (from the vessels of the Temple) and above it is the letter A to mark the first year of the great rebellion against the Romans. The coin was found during a dirt sifting originating from the Temple Mount.