Israel 100 Sheqalim Hanukka Commemorative

The Israel 100 Sheqalim Hanukka commemorative is a silver coin issued in 1985 as part of Israel's long-running Hanukka (Chanukah) coin series. Its obverse is dominated by a menorah surrounded by festive design elements celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights, while the reverse carries the denomination and the word SHEQALIM.

Struck during the brief period when the Israeli sheqel (plural sheqalim) served as the national currency, the coin was made for collectors rather than everyday circulation. It belongs to a series in which the Bank of Israel and the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation honored Hanukka each year with a new lamp or menorah design.

With its bold religious imagery and precious-metal content, the piece is valued as both a commemorative and a piece of Judaica, appealing to coin collectors and to those who collect objects tied to Jewish holidays and tradition.

Israel has issued Hanukka commemorative coins for decades, a tradition that grew out of the older custom of giving Hanukka gelt (holiday coins) to children. Successive issues typically depict menorahs or historic Hanukka lamps drawn from Jewish communities around the world, tying each year's coin to the festival's central theme of the eight-branched lamp.

This particular coin is denominated in sheqalim, the currency unit Israel used in the early-to-mid 1980s before the introduction of the new sheqel. The 1985 date places it near the end of that monetary era, and the coin was produced primarily for the collector market in both proof and uncirculated finishes rather than for wide daily use.

Like other coins in the series, it was struck under the authority of the Bank of Israel, with production and marketing handled through Israel's official coins and medals body. These issues were sold to collectors at home and abroad, and today they circulate mainly through the numismatic and Judaica markets.

The defining feature is the obverse menorah and Hanukka theme: a branched lamp or menorah accompanied by festive design elements that signal the Festival of Lights. The reverse is the value side, carrying the denomination together with the inscription SHEQALIM and Israeli state legends, and typically the date 1985.

Look for Hebrew lettering as the primary script, often alongside English and sometimes Arabic. The coin is a round silver commemorative of medium size, heavier and more lustrous than a base-metal circulation piece, and proof examples show mirror-like fields with frosted devices. Fineness and exact weight follow the standards used for the Hanukka silver series of the period.

Because the Hanukka series spans many years, the specific menorah or lamp design plus the 100 Sheqalim denomination and 1985 date are what pin this coin to its exact issue. Confirm the denomination reads in sheqalim (not new sheqels, agorot, or lirot) to place it correctly within Israel's currency history.

As a silver commemorative made for collectors, this coin carries value from both its precious-metal content and its numismatic appeal as Judaica. Typical examples trade at a modest premium over their silver value, with well-preserved proof pieces and those retaining original mint packaging and certificates bringing more.

Condition, finish (proof versus uncirculated), and the presence of the original case and certificate of authenticity are the main drivers of price. Coins with heavy handling, spotting, or impaired mirrors sell for less, while pristine, fully original examples command the strongest interest.

Because silver prices move and collector demand varies, treat any single figure as a rough guide rather than a fixed price. For an accurate current value, weigh the silver content against recent sales of comparable graded examples from the Israeli Hanukka series.