Israel 10 Lirot

The Israel 10 Lirot is a crown-sized silver commemorative issued by the Bank of Israel. The example shown is dated 1968 and carries a menorah design flanked by columns on one face and a view of the Jerusalem cityscape on the other. Ten lirot (the lira, or Israeli pound, was the national currency before the shekel) was a high face value, marking this as a collector piece rather than everyday spending money.

The coin belongs to Israel's long-running series of annual Independence Day commemoratives. Its Jerusalem theme reflects the mood of the late 1960s, and the silver composition, large diameter, and careful strike place it firmly among non-circulating collector issues rather than pocket change.

Because it was made for numismatists, surviving examples are usually well preserved. Both a frosted proof version and a brilliant uncirculated version were produced, and both remain widely available to collectors today.

The lira (Israeli pound) served as Israel's currency from the early 1950s until it was replaced by the shekel in the early 1980s. During that period the Bank of Israel, working with the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation, issued a silver 10 Lirot coin each year to mark Independence Day (Yom Ha'atzmaut).

The 1968 issue commemorated the 20th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. Its imagery of Jerusalem resonated strongly in the year following the 1967 war, when the city featured prominently in national commemoration. The obverse carries the state's menorah emblem, one of Israel's oldest and most recognizable national symbols.

These Independence Day coins were sold to collectors at a premium over face value rather than released into circulation. That distribution model is why the series is remembered today as commemorative silver rather than as working currency.

Look first at the denomination and the two central designs. Genuine pieces read 10 Lirot and pair a menorah (shown here with flanking columns) on one side with a panoramic view of Jerusalem on the other, alongside Hebrew (and often English) legends and the date. The example here is dated 1968.

This is a large silver coin, roughly crown-sized at about 37 mm across and weighing near 26 grams in a high-silver alloy. Its heft, bright metal, and clean ring help separate it from base-metal tokens or medals of similar appearance.

Israeli commemoratives distinguish their proof strikes with a small Star of David mint mark placed near the design, absent on the plain uncirculated version. Checking for that mark, along with the Hebrew date and the Independence Day inscription, confirms both the type and the finish.

As a silver crown, the 10 Lirot has a baseline worth tied to its bullion content, so its floor moves with the silver market. Most ordinary examples trade close to that intrinsic value plus a modest collector premium.

Condition and finish drive the difference in price. Frosted proof strikes and coins retained in their original mint packaging or holders bring more than loose, handled brilliant-uncirculated pieces. Because the Independence Day coins were made in collector quantities and carefully saved, high grades are common and premiums stay moderate.

For a specific coin, weigh and measure it, confirm the proof or uncirculated finish, and compare against recent sales of the same date. Values shift with the silver price and demand, so treat any figure as a range rather than a fixed number.