Israel Lira
Half Lira, 1969
The obverse shows a Menorah or a Hanukkah having 7 candle stands flanked by sprigs. This is the national symbol or emblem of Israel. It is also their coat of arms. The menorah has a special place among the Jews. It gained its place in Jewish folklore during the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy when the Jews lighted a menorah with enough oil for one day, but it miraculously lasted for 8 days until another one could be found. So menorahs having 8 stands were also created , and ones even having 9 slots for candles with the centre one being an auxiliary candle used to light the other candles. Menorahs have different styles but the one on the coin is the original one.
1 Lira, 1977
The obverse shows stylized pomegranates.
Weight: 9 gm
Metal: copper-nickel
Diameter: 27.5mm
The Hebrew language is definitely hard to understand and so far I have not been able to make any head or tail of it. I do not get even the number system, I have got to know the dates on these coins by looking up in a table.
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