Israel 1974 "Pidyon HaBen" 10 Lirot BU Coin, KM# 76.1

Description

Israel 1974 "Pidyon HaBen"
10 Lirot BU Coin, KM# 76.1
The Israel Government Coins and Medals Corp. was established in 1958 by Prime Minister Ben Gurion for the purpose of commemorating the historical events and milestones of the State of Israel, as well as its outstanding personalities and achievements in culture, science and art. Until 2008, the Corporation was fully owned by the Government of Israel. During 2008, it was privatized.
Fifteen years after premier Menachem Begin and president Anwar Sadat signed the Egypt-Israel peace treaty under the auspices of U.S. president Jimmy Carter, Israel's Yitzhak Rabin, Jordan's King Hussein and U.S. president Bill Clinton gathered in October 1994 near the adjoining port cities of Eilat and Aqaba to sign the second peace treaty between Israel and one of its Arab neighbors. Prior to Israel- Jordan peace, the relationship between both countries had always been enigmatic. For decades a popular Israeli saying was, that "we don't know which will be the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, but Jordan will be the second." The enigmatic relationship between both nations goes back to 1918, when Emir Feisal, King Hussein's great-grandfather met with Chaim Weismann, resulting in the Feisal-Weizmann agreement of 1919. Later, in early May 1948, days before the outbreak of Israel's war of independence, Golda Meir traveled to Amman to meet King Abdullah, Hussein's grandfather. And during the reign of King Hussein it was common knowledge that the Hashemite monarch met in secret several times with Israeli prime ministers, ministers and other high officials in order to reach peace. After the peace treaty, the relationship between both countries has mostly been positive.
This coin was made by the Israel Mint at Jerusalem. The pidyon haben or redemption of the first-born (if male and not by cesarean) is a mitzvah in Judaism whereby a Jewish firstborn son is "redeemed" by use of silver coins. Interpretations differ in what the firstborn son is to be redeemed from, ranging from being redeemed from their firstborn status, which garnered negative connotations after the Ten Plagues, or their obligation to serve as a priest. The redemption is attained by paying five silver coins to a kohen (a patrilineal descendant of the priestly family of Aaron), on behalf of one's firstborn son. Pidyon haben is a relatively rare ceremony. A family does not perform the ceremony if its firstborn is a girl, born by caesarian section, preceded by a miscarriage, or if either grandfather is a kohen or a Levite.
The coin is in an unsealed vinyl pouch with a dark green front and clear back. The pouch has a clear closure tab that slips through a belt-like loop on the front side. The pouch is 1-15/16" square and about 1/8" thick. The coin is round and it has a plain (smooth) edge.
This BU coin has a mint mark of a Star of David ( ✡ ) above the date and near the border, on the obverse side. It is made of 0.900 fine silver, and it weighs 26 grams. It is 37mm in diameter. The certificate is basically provided by the gold writing on the front of the vinyl pouch.
The obverse side of the coin has "10" in the upper right and by the border to indicate the value. The state emblem is at the lower left of the coin. The issue year "1974". is by the border and to the left of the state emblem.
The reverse side of the coin has a design with what appear to be five ancient Hebrew coins. The coins are positioned as if they are fruit on a "tree" consisting of Hebrew text. The tree and coins are inside a vertically elongated loop occupying more than the left half of the coin.
This is a brilliant uncirculated coin. Please see the photos. The silver color of the coin may show as black in the images. The photo images may provide a better indication of the actual color. The coin has tarnishing on the reverse side and is located at the right side. The edge in that area is also tarnished.