Ira and Larry Goldberg Auctioneers
Auction 117 15-16 Sep 2020
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Palestine, Extraordinary Group of Ottoman Empire Coins Counterstamped in Sfat for Use as Charity Tokens, before 1917. Includes three large 36mm copper 40 Paras (well worn), an important 36mm 1833 silver 5 Piastres (very clear under-coin), copper 27mm 10 Paras (well worn), copper 22mm 5 Paras (corroded), and copper 18mm 2 Paras (clear under-coin). Two of the 40 Paras coins have two Hebrew counterstamps ? Tzadik Peh Taf and Tzadik Lamed Ayin; one 40 Paras and all of the other coins have a single counterstamp ? Tzadik Lamed Ayin.
The consignor, Abraham Sofaer proposes the following: I bought a few coins from a dealer many years ago that are Ottoman Empire currency with counter stamps. One counter stamp is the three Hebrew letter Tzadik Peh Taf ("SFT"), which seems clearly to mean the City "Safed" or Sfat. The other counter mark is Tzadik Lamed Ayin, which I cannot translate into any particular word, but which could stand for three separate words. A Jewish community in Sfat could well have wanted to find a way to make clear that certain coins they may have wanted to carry or give away on the Sabbath were strictly for the purpose of charity, which in Hebrew as you know is Tzadaka, a word that begins with a Tzadik. Seen this way, the Lamed could take on its very common, historical meaning found in many types of inscriptions, i.e., "to" or "belonging to" or in this context "for". Assuming this makes sense, what could the letter Ayin mean? Conceivably "Am" or "People," but more likely "Ani," which in Hebrew means "the poor," which starts with an Ayin, and to whom the Ashet Hayil gives charity in our lovely Shabbat prayer. So I propose: Tzadaka Le Ayin. Sylvia Haffner indicates that these are very rare "for the Turkish government frowned upon the counterstamping of a coin of the realm and converting it to a token." The consignor paid $500 for just the 5 Piastres. An historic and virtually irreplaceable group of coins. Estimated Value $750 - UP
From The Abe Sofaer Collection.
The consignor, Abraham Sofaer proposes the following: I bought a few coins from a dealer many years ago that are Ottoman Empire currency with counter stamps. One counter stamp is the three Hebrew letter Tzadik Peh Taf ("SFT"), which seems clearly to mean the City "Safed" or Sfat. The other counter mark is Tzadik Lamed Ayin, which I cannot translate into any particular word, but which could stand for three separate words. A Jewish community in Sfat could well have wanted to find a way to make clear that certain coins they may have wanted to carry or give away on the Sabbath were strictly for the purpose of charity, which in Hebrew as you know is Tzadaka, a word that begins with a Tzadik. Seen this way, the Lamed could take on its very common, historical meaning found in many types of inscriptions, i.e., "to" or "belonging to" or in this context "for". Assuming this makes sense, what could the letter Ayin mean? Conceivably "Am" or "People," but more likely "Ani," which in Hebrew means "the poor," which starts with an Ayin, and to whom the Ashet Hayil gives charity in our lovely Shabbat prayer. So I propose: Tzadaka Le Ayin. Sylvia Haffner indicates that these are very rare "for the Turkish government frowned upon the counterstamping of a coin of the realm and converting it to a token." The consignor paid $500 for just the 5 Piastres. An historic and virtually irreplaceable group of coins. Estimated Value $750 - UP
From The Abe Sofaer Collection.