Coins of the Jews, a book about the history of Jewish coinage with illustrations, pictures and a plate of Alphabet by Samuel Raffaeli (Raffalovich) and a preface "Torah MiZion" by the publisher Ephraim Deinard. Printed by Halevi Zuckerman (picture of illustrations and coins: Levy & Co.), Jerusalem, 1913. Hebrew and English.
The first Hebrew book recording the history of Eretz-Israeli coins from early days until the Bar Kokhba coins. The book is based on Talmudic sources unlike other numismatic books and is accompanied by illustration plates featuring coins and a preface by Ephraim Deinard.
Overleaf the title page, a long dedication written by hand to Yesha'aya [Yesha'ayahu] Raffaelovich, from "the young Shlomo ben Yitzchak Halevy". Ink stamps and ownership inscription on title page and on the following page (of Salamao I. Levy). On the last blank leaf appears a handwritten inscription: "Special printing for the Orient Exploration Society 1921".
Samuel Raffaeli (1866-1923) was a money changer in Batrak street in Jerusalem. While being engaged in money changing farmers used to bring to him ancient coins which they discovered in their villages and he became an ancient coin expert. Raffaeli was the director of the coin department in the Rockefeller Museum where, coins from his private collection were exhibited as well. After his death, the antiquity department acquired the collection from his family.
[1], vi, 6, 199 pp, 35 plates (bound irregularly), [1], [202]-208 pp (title page and English text), 22.5 cm. Good condition. Foxing. Some worming holes. Open tears to margins of English title page (restored with adhesive tape). Margins of last leaves are cut on the edge of the text. A fine new binding, with a leather spine.