Shekel (Simon Maccabees).
The Shekel was originally a weight. The first form in which money was used by the Jews, and by all other nations of which we have any knowledge, was the pieces without any regular shape or any marks or devices upon them. Precious metals passed by weight. Thus it is said of the purchase made by Abraham of the cave and field of Machpelah, “And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant.” Gen. xxiii. 16.
The weight of a shekel was a little less than one-half an ounce troy. The term “current with the merchant,” probably refers to the purity of the silver, which was about ninety-five per cent. fine, and the value in our money was fifty-eight cents. It first appeared as a coin in the time of the Maccabees, who lived about 140 B. C. The amount of silver in the coin is the same as was contained in the piece of silver denominated a shekel. It will be seen that on one side is the golden cup that had manna (see Exod. xvi. 33, and Heb. ix. 4), with the inscription in old Hebrew character, “SHEKEL OF ISRAEL;” on the other side appears Aaron’s rod that budded with the legend in the same character, “JERUSALEM THE HOLY.” This specimen is in the Mint cabinet; one of the most rare and interesting coins in the collection.