Judaica - Gerlitz Shekel - "Shekel Israel" - Chalice and Flowering Branch - Spencer, London - Late 19th / Early ...

Judaica - Gerlitz Shekel - "Shekel Israel" - Chalice and Flowering Branch - Spencer, London - Late 19th / Early 20th Century A token of the "Gerlitz Shekel" type, featuring the traditional symbolic designs of a chalice and flowering branch together with stylized Hebrew inscriptions. Below the chalice appears the maker's mark "SPENCER · LONDON", indicating manufacture in London. The piece may be approximately dated to the late 19th or early 20th century. "Gerlitz Shekels" belong to a family of tokens that developed in Europe beginning in the 15th century, at a time when the precise appearance of ancient Jewish shekel coinage was still unknown in Europe. Their invention is traditionally associated with Georg Emmerich of Görlitz, who traveled to the Holy Land as a pilgrim in 1465. Numerous variations were subsequently produced throughout Europe and circulated among both Christian and Jewish communities. The Judaica association of these pieces does not necessarily indicate that this particular token was issued by Jews or originally produced specifically for Jewish use. However, tokens of the Gerlitz Shekel tradition are documented as having also been used by European Jews, including as commemorative pieces and amulets, as symbolic tokens for Zecher Le-Machatzit HaShekel, for charity and Purim gifts to the poor, and in some instances to represent the five sela'im required for Pidyon HaBen. Obverse: A stylized chalice from which rises a floral ornament, surrounded by a stylized Hebrew inscription. Maker's mark below: "SPENCER · LONDON" Reverse: A flowering branch or tree with leaves and buds, surrounded by a stylized Hebrew inscription. This is not an ancient shekel or an official legal-tender coin, but a later token based on the Gerlitz Shekel tradition. White metal with a silvery appearance; the precise metal composition cannot be established from the photographs alone. Visible handling marks, scratches and wear.