A 2,000-Year-Old Coin Returns to Israel After Global Efforts

In an extensive international intelligence operation, Israel has finally reclaimed a rare 2,000-year-old coin, one of just four known to exist. The coin was stolen by antiquities thieves in 2002 and exchanged hands among illicit traders across several countries before its return to Israel.

This saga began in 2002 when a Palestinian antiquities theft ring from South Hebron discovered a cache of coins from the Great Revolt period in the Valley of Elah. Among these was an exceptionally rare and unique coin—a quarter shekel made of silver from 69 CE, a year before the Second Temple's destruction in Jerusalem.

In the years since its disappearance, the coin was traded in illegal markets in Israel, Jordan, and the UK, as the Israel Antiquities Authority sought to reclaim it. In 2017, the coin surfaced on the auction block at Heritage Auctions in Denver, Colorado.

An investigation lasting approximately 5 years uncovered the network of individuals holding the coin, composed of illegal antiquities traders and smugglers who colluded to profit from the plunder of Israel's cultural heritage.

The coin was returned yesterday (Monday) during a ceremony at the New York Attorney General's office, attended by Israel Antiquities Authority Director Eli Eskozido, Israeli Consul in New York Asaf Zamir, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and U.S. Homeland Security representative Mike Alfonso.

Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, head of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit, remarked, "This extraordinary coin represents a crucial piece of history, finally returning home. Moreover, it signifies a remarkable partnership between the New York Antiquities Trafficking Unit and the Israel Antiquities Authority. This partnership should serve as a model for the repatriation of looted cultural heritage worldwide."

Eli Eskozido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, stated: "This is a historic achievement for the State of Israel and for safeguarding its cultural heritage. It's only the second time that cultural heritage assets looted and smuggled abroad have been returned to the country. It's the beginning of a critical and positive trend."

Gilad Erdan, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, said: "As Israel's Ambassador to the UN, this event is particularly important to me because Palestinians in the UN are working to obscure our nation's history and erase our connection to the Land of Israel. But no matter how many lies are spread, the truth cannot be erased, and the truth is here tonight for all to see. This coin witnesses the eternal bond between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel, and as Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, it will aid me in my mission to combat the lies of our adversaries."