1177) "Golden Gate" Jerusalem, Israel: Fifth Coin in the "Gates of Jerusalem" Coin Series: Gold and Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation (ICMC) and minted by the Holy Land Mint in 2019:

1177) "Golden Gate" Jerusalem, Israel: Fifth Coin in the "Gates of Jerusalem" Coin Series: Gold and Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation (ICMC) and minted by the Holy Land Mint in 2019:

The "Gates of Jerusalem Coin Series" is struck in Gold and Silver, in strictly limited mintages, which take us on an amazing tour of the Walls of Jerusalem, over thousands of years of history.

The Walls around the Old City of Jerusalem were built in the 16th Century by the Ottoman Sultan of Turkey, known as "Suleiman in Magnificent".

Eight Gates were constructed within the walls:

There are eight gates within the walls of Jerusalem. The gates are open and serve as passageways to the sacred and historic sites and markets of the city, with the exception of Golden Gate or Mercy Gate , as it is known, which remains closed.

About the Golden Gate:

The Golden Gate was built in the 7th Century over ruins from biblical times, possibly even from the First Temple period. Located opposite the Mount of Olives, this is the nearest of all the gates to the actual site of the Holy Temple.

According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will enter Jerusalem through the Golden Gate and it is believed that the Golden Gate will open miraculously, when the Messiah comes and the dead are resurrected.

Unlike the other main gates in the Walls of Jerusalem, the Golden Gate was not built by the Turks and was decorated with Byzantine-style elements and it had two openings. It is believed that because of this prophecy, the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman sealed the gate in 1541 in order to prevent the Messiah from entering. The Muslim cemetery located close to the Golden Gate was also set up to hinder the entrance of the Messiah. 

According to Jewish tradition, Elijah the Prophet is to pass through this Gate to herald the coming of the Messiah, and it was thought that being of priestly descent, Elijah would be forbidden to pass through a graveyard.

According to Christian tradition, this Gate is called "Golden Gate" because it is believed that Jesus entered Jerusalem through this Gate.

The Commemorative Bullion Coins:

The "Golden Gate Bullion coin" in both Gold and Silver weighing one troy ounce commemorates this very 'special gate'. 

The Reverses of the Gold and Silver Bullion Coin issues, placed against a background image of the actual "Golden Gate"

The Obverse and Reverse images of the "Golden Gate" Gold Bullion Coin

On the Obverse of this Gold Bullion Coin is seen an image of the "Golden Gate".

The inscriptions on this coin are - "GOLDEN GATE" (on the upper periphery) and "1 OZ FINE GOLD .9999" (on the lower periphery) - in both English and Hebrew. To the left is the mint year "2019".

The common Reverse of this Coin Series depicts a stylised map/sketch of the Gates in the Wall around the Old City of Jerusalem. The coin is inscribed - "GATES OF JERUSALEM". On the lower centre is mentioned the name and emblem of the mint - "THE HOLY LAND MINT".

The specifications of this Gold coin are:

Metallic Composition: .9999 Fineness Gold (Au); Diameter/Size:32.0 mm; Weight:31.1 grams or 1.0 Oz; Mintage: 1,800 pieces; Mint: The Holy Land Mint; Year of issue: 2019; Designer: Zvika Roitman; Engraver: Tidhar Dagan.

Remarks: The Gold Bullion Coin is encapsulated and is housed  in an attractive/elegant red and black wooden box. It comes with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). The wooden box is placed in a protective outer jacket.

The Obverse and Reverse image of the "Golden Gate" Silver Bullion Coin

On the Obverse of this Silver Bullion Coin is seen an image of the Golden Gate.

The inscriptions on this coin are - "GOLDEN GATE" (on the upper periphery) and "1 OZ FINE SILVER .999" (on the lower periphery) - in both English and Hebrew. To the left is the mint year - "2019".

The common Reverse of this Coin Series shows a stylised map of the Gates in the Wall around the Old City of Jerusalem. The coin is inscribed - "GATES OF JERUSALEM" (on the upper periphery). On the lower periphery is mentioned the name and emblem of the mint - "THE HOLY LAND MINT".

The specifications of this Silver Coin are:

Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Diameter/Size: 38.7 mm; Weight: 31.1 grams or 1.0 Oz; Mintage: 1,800 pieces; Mint: The Holy Land Mint; Year: 2019; Designer: Zvika Roitman; Engraver: Tidhar Dagan.

Remarks: The Silver Coin is encapsulated and is housed in an attractive/elegant red and black wooden box. It comes with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). The wooden box is placed in a protective outer jacket.

Links to more posts from ICMC, Israel:

Gates of Jerusalem Coin Series:

1) "Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem", Israel: First Coin in the "Gates of Jerusalem" Coin Series: Gold & Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation (ICMC) and minted by the Holy Land Mint in 2017:

2) "Lion's Gate", Jerusalem, Israel: Second Coin in the "Gates of Jerusalem" Coin Series: Gold and Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation (ICMC) and minted by the Holy Land Mint in 2018:

3) "Damascus Gate", Jerusalem, Israel: Third Coin in the "Gates of Jerusalem" Coin Series: Gold and Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation (ICMC) and minted by the Holy Land Mint in 2018 (with the year of issue as 2019):

4) "New Gate", Jerusalem, Israel: Fourth Coin in the "Gates of Jerusalem" Coin Series: Gold and Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Isral Coins and Medals Corporation (ICMC) and minted by the Holy Land Mint in 2019

5) "Golden Gate", Jerusalem, Israel: Fifth Coin in the "Gates of Jerusalem" Coin Series: Gold and Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation (ICMC) and minted by the Holy Land Mint in 2019

Birds of Israel Coin Series:

 1) Hoopoe: First coin in the "Birds of Israel Coin Series"

2) Warbler: Second Coin in the Birds of Israel Coin Series"

3) Vulture: Third coin in the "Birds of Israel Coin Series"

4) Lesser Kestrel: Fourth Coin in the "Birds of Israel Coin Series"

5) Goldfinch: Fifth Coin in the "Birds of Israel Coin Series"

6) Kingfisher: Sixth Coin in the "Birds of Israel Coin Series"

7) Sunbird: Seventh Coin in the "Birds of Israel Coin Series"

8) Barn Owl: Eighth Coin in the "Birds of Israel Coin Series"

Other interesting posts from Israel:

1) 50 Years of Reunification of Israel: Israel's 69th anniversary 50 Shekel gold coin and 10 Shekel Silver coin issued on 01.08.2017:

2) Centenary of the Battle of Haifa, Israel: Eretz, fought in September 2018 by the Indian cavalry comprising Jodhpur and Mysore Lancers against German and Turkish troops: A commemorative stamp brought out by Israel Post on 06.02.2018:

3) Butterflies of Israel: A Series of Eight Coins issued by the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation (ICMC), minted by the Holy Land Mint (2018)

4) 71st Anniversary of Israel's establishment: "Innovation Nation": A Gold 10 New Israeli Shekel (NIS) , a Silver 2 NIS Coin and a Silver 1 NIS Coin celebrate this year's milestone

5) "Jerusalem Windmill", Israel: The Ninth Coin in the Jerusalem of Gold Bullion Coin Series: Issue Year: 2019

6) "The Twelve Spies", ICMC, Israel: 23rd Coin in the Biblical Art series: Gold 10 & 1 New Israeli Shekel (NIS) and Silver 2 & 1 New Israeli Shekel (NIS) Coins issued by the Holy Land Mint:

7) Ancient Roman Arenas (in Israel): A set of three Stamps issued by Israel Post on 19.12.2017

"Views of Jerusalem" Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Series:

1) Walls of Jerusalem: Third Coin in the Series Gold and Silver Bullion Coins issued by ICMC, Israel & the Holy Land Mint (2018)

2) The City of David: Fourth Coin in the Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Series issued by ICMC, Israel & the Holy Land Mint, Israel (2019)

For some other interesting posts from Italy/The Vatican, please visit the following links:

1) Israel-Vatican Joint Issue: Celebrating 25 Years of Diplomatic Relations between Israel and The Vatican: A Commemorative Stamp issued jointly by the Vatican Numismatic Service and Israel Post on 10.09.2019