The Earliest Coin of Judah

Abstract

Recently a drachm with the lapidary Aramaic legend yhd appeared in the market. Based on
iconographic and epigraphic comparisons as well as metallurgical analyses the author suggests
that this coin should be regarded as the earliest known issue of Judah. The author further posits
that this issue was probably minted at the central Philistian mint for the province of Judah.