155
AJN Second Series 27 (2015) pp. 155–177
© 2015 he American Numismatic Society
A Possible Hoard of Judaean and Nabataean Coins from
Cyprus
Plates 38–41 Craig A. Harvey*
his article presents a group of 57 Judaean and Nabataean bronze coins said
to have been found on the Karpas Peninsula in Cyprus, donated to the ANS in
1978. Although the existence of this group has been mentioned by two prior
publications, these coins are presented here for the irst time fully and prop-
erly identiied and analyzed. In addition to discussing the cohesion of this
group as an ancient hoard, this article examines the context for these coins’
arrival and use in Cyprus. Although Judaean and Nabataean coins have previ-
ously been found in Cyprus, the coins presented here constitute a signiicant
addition to this corpus.
An assemblage of 57 small bronze coins was donated to the American Numismatic
Society (ANS) in 1978 by Anna Fleetwood Garner in honor of Pavlos Neuphytou.
Sold together as a hoard, these coins were reportedly discovered on the Karpas
Peninsula in Cyprus, in a small ceramic jar near the ruins of a presumed church.1
* he University of Michigan (caharvey@umich.edu).
1 Frustratingly little is known about the provenance of these coins. A brief memo
accompanying the coins contains all the information about their discovery as conveyed
by the donator. his memo is reproduced in full and verbatim here: “he Jewish coins
which have been discovered at the Carpas Peninsula were found in a small earthen jar
which unfortunately was broken, near the ruins of what they believe was a church but the
name of the Saint was not mentioned. he name of the locality was ‘Old Church’ in Greek
‘Palioklisia’. I believe, according to what the owner of the coins told me, that 10 to 15 were
taken by another person who happened to be present at that time. I tried very hard to
purchase those coins too, but I did not succeed.”