Watch List notes:

Israel. Rare Lot of Three 1958 Israel Liberata State Medals. This is Israel's first State Medal, issued to commemorate the nation's 10th Anniversary of Independence. The medal symbolizes two extremes. Its reverse features a Judaea Capta Sestertius remembering the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE; the obverse celebrates Israel's rebirth as a free nation in 1948.
All of the rare medals in this lot are 59mm. The first medal is a lovely bright silver-plated example with no plugs, weighing 120gm. The second is also silver-plated, with plugs polished off, weighing 123gm. The third (copper?) with plugs, weighs 121gm; some wipe marks in fields. An unknown number of bronze 59 mm and silver 61 mm medals have on their obverse two or more distinct punch marks. These result from the fact that medals continued to be minted from dies that had been invalidated by drilling two holes in them. The projections left on the medals were then removed and the medals polished, leaving crude punch. marks and sometimes polish marks as well. In numismatic jargon these punch marks are called "plugs." The silver plated copper version with plugs is undocumented, and its origin is therefore uncertain; most probably unofficially silver plated at a later stage. Estimate Value $500 - 750
The Brody Family Collection;.