01/27/2026
$279
Ancient coin from time & land of Jesus Christ. AD 26-36 Certified VG. Pontius Pilot
Issuer: Pontius Pilate
Title: Prefect of Judaea
Date: AD 26–36 (during the reign of Emperor Tiberius)
Denomination: AE Prutah (small bronze coin used for everyday transactions)
Region: Roman Judaea (modern-day Israel/Palestine)
🏛 Historical Context
Pontius Pilate governed Judaea as a Roman prefect and is historically significant for ordering the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. Coins like this are among the very few physical artifacts directly linked to him.
These coins were struck locally and circulated among the Jewish population. Because of Jewish prohibitions against graven images, Pilate’s coins avoid portraits and instead use symbolic designs.
🔍 Typical Designs (even if worn)
Although your example is heavily worn (which is normal for bronze coins of this era), Pilate’s prutot usually feature:
Obverse:
A lituus (a curved augural staff associated with Roman religious authority)
Or sometimes a simpulum (ritual ladle)
Reverse:
A wreath enclosing Greek lettering
Often includes the year of Tiberius’s reign in Greek
📦 The Holder & Grade
Grading Service: NGC Ancients
Grade: VG (Very Good)
This means the coin is authentic, identifiable, but with significant wear—details are faint, which is totally expected for a 2,000-year-old bronze coin.
NGC Certification #: 3988051-045
📌 Why this coin matters
Even in this condition, this is a museum-relevant artifact—a small, everyday coin that would have circulated in Judaea at one of the most pivotal moments in Western history.
