How to Identify the Israel 1 Agora (Bank of Israel 25th Anniversary)
A collector's checklist for the 1980 Israeli 1 Agora: grain-ears design, the value 1 with Hebrew legend, aluminum-bronze color and small size, and cautions against look-alikes.
Read the full Israel 1 Agora (Bank of Israel 25th Anniversary) encyclopedia entry →
Start with the design pairing. One face must show grain ears (barley or wheat stalks) set inside a scalloped inner border; the opposite face must show a large numeral 1 as the value with a short Hebrew inscription and the date. If the grain motif or the numeral 1 is missing, you are not looking at the lira-era 1 Agora. The Hebrew legend names the denomination (agora) and the state (Israel).
Check the physical clues next. This is a small, light, base-metal coin in aluminum-bronze, so it shows a warm golden-brown color rather than the silvery gray of cupro-nickel. Its small diameter and low weight place it among minor circulating coins; anything crown-sized, silvery, or heavy is a different denomination. Confirm the date reads 1980 to match this anniversary-linked issue.
Use the color and size together to rule out Israel's other coins. Higher denominations of the era are larger and silver-toned, and the later sheqel-system agora carries a different design, so do not identify by the numeral 1 alone. The grain ears plus the Hebrew agora legend are the decisive combination for this lira-era type.
On authentication, this is a common, low-value minor coin, so deliberate counterfeiting is unlikely; the greater risk is misattribution. Verify by matching the grain-ears face, the value 1, the Hebrew legend, and the 1980 date. There is no separate circulation mint letter to hunt for, so rely on design, color, and date, and value any anniversary-set example partly on whether it retains its original packaging.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to confirm this coin?
Match three things: grain ears within a scalloped border on one face, the large numeral 1 with a Hebrew inscription on the other, and the date 1980. Together with the aluminum-bronze color, those identify the type.
How do I tell it from the modern Israeli agora?
This lira-era coin shows grain ears and belongs to the pre-1980 pound system. The later sheqel-system agora uses a different design, so identify by the grain-ears face and Hebrew agora legend, not by the numeral 1 alone.
Does it have a mint mark to look for?
There is no separate circulation mint letter needed to identify this piece in hand. Confirm it instead by the grain-ears design, the value 1 with Hebrew legend, the golden aluminum-bronze color, and the 1980 date.
Is a special anniversary version worth more?
Only modestly. The coin is a common base-metal minor, so most premium comes from high grade and, for anniversary issues, retention of the original mint-set packaging rather than from the coin's metal or rarity.