KM-31, 1962 Israel 1/2 lira, Utrecht (Netherlands) mint; copper-nickel, plain edge; regular strike variety of the early commemorative coinage celebrating the Feast of Purim, here is Sheqel's description:

The origin of the use of a Half Sheqel coin is to be found in the Bible, Exodus 30:11-15. "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel [is] twenty gerahs) an half shekel [shall be] the offering of the Lord. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty Years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when [they] give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls." Jews living in the Diaspora collected the Half Sheqel and forwarded the money to the Holy Land, to help maintain learning. This was done in keeping with the custom prevailing during the Second Jewish Commonwealth, when the Half Sheqel was collected abroad and sent to Jerusalem, as a contribution to the Temple.
The ritual of collecting a Half Sheqel is still performed today in synagogues in Israel and the Diaspora, with its present primary purpose giving to the needy and poor. As in biblical times, the Half Sheqel is collected on the 13th Adar (or 13th Adar II in a leap year), before the Mincha (afternoon) prayer. The 13th of Adar (or Adar II) is also - coincidentally - the Fast of Esther which precedes the Purim festival. This proximity to Purim, as well as the Purim customs of Mishloach Manot (giving food gifts to friends) and Matanot Le-evyonim (giving charity to the poor), is the source of much misunderstanding about the correct meaning and purpose of the Half Sheqel. Today it is often mistakenly thought that the Half Sheqel is a Purim-related custom, even going as far as calling it the "Purim Half Sheqel". Historians believe that Moses, during whose lifetime the Half Sheqel ritual was initiated, lived in the 13th century BC, whereas the Book of Esther from which the Purim festival takes its cue, dates from 355 BC. When the events described in the Book of Esther took place, the Half Sheqel custom was already almost a millennium old!


The Bank of Israel issued in the Year 5722 (1962) the second and last special Half Sheqel coin with a face value of ½ Lira. Its obverse shows a silver Half Sheqel struck in Jerusalem during the third Year of the Jewish war against Rome (68/69 AD).
The Proof coin has a small 'Mem' mintmark on its reverse, positioned close to the bottom edge.




Limited mintage 19,890 pieces and many lost because they were not preserved as silver coins were, nice bright surfaces with minimal reverse peripheral toning, see high resolution scans to estimate condition yourself and pictures for the overall look and feel.

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I am a coin collector getting rid of some of the duplicates or items I bought over years and no longer need. You can find some of my coins here http://omnicoin.com/collection/sandy3075

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