1 Sheqel (Hanukka Lamp Series - Theresienstadt) 5745 (1984) front 1 Sheqel (Hanukka Lamp Series - Theresienstadt) 5745 (1984) back
1 Sheqel (Hanukka Lamp Series - Theresienstadt) 5745 (1984) photo
© Israel Coins and Medals Corp.

1 Sheqel Hanukka Lamp Series - Theresienstadt

5745 (1984) year
Silver (.850) 14.4 g 30 mm
Description
Issuer
Israel
Period
State of Israel (1948-date)
Type
Non-circulating coin
Year
5745 (1984)
Calendar
Hebrew
Value
1 Sheqel (1&nbspILR)
Currency
Old Shekel (1980-1985)
Composition
Silver (.850)
Weight
14.4 g
Diameter
30 mm
Thickness
2.4 mm
Shape
Round
Technique
Milled
Orientation
Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized
Yes
Updated
2024-10-05
References
Numista
N#13506
Rarity index
63%

Reverse

Hanukka Lamp from the Theresienstadt Ghetto and the inscription in Hebrew and in English : Hanukka Lamp from Theresienstadt Ghetto 24.11.1941-9.5.1945

Scripts: Hebrew, Latin

Lettering:
24.11.1941 - 9.5.1945
HANUKKA LAMP FROM THE RESIENSTADT GHETTO

Engraver: Gideon Keich

Edge

Plain

Comment

In 1981, a most unusual Hanukka Lamp was presented to the "Yad Vashem" Museum by an anonymous American donor. The distinguishing feature of this Hanukka Lamp was not its external beauty but rather its great historical value. Its craftsman was unknown but it was made from automobile spare parts and scrap-iron from the Theresienstadt Ghetto garage. It had been discovered in Europe after the war and taken to the United States.
Of all the ghettos and concentration camps set up by the Germans, Theresienstadt was different. The Nazis wished to create a sort of model "Jewish City" governed by its inhabitants.
Bohemian and Moravian Jews, who numbered 118,000 before the Holocaust, never suspected that Theresienstadt was going to be a staging point on the way to Poland rather than a survival point, as the Germans had tried to indicate. In spite of inhuman living conditions, the inhabitants of Theresienstadt succeeded in maintaining their human dignity, as well as a flourishing and artistic life. They even presented plays in Czech and in German. Tragically, out of 150,000, about 30,000 of the inhabitants perished in the Ghetto, while about 90,000 were sent to Auschwitz and exterminated in the ovens of the concentration camps.

The Hanukka Lamp from Theresienstadt is a remaining tangible symbol of this heroic chapter in the history of the Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Interesting fact

The Hanukka Lamp Series - Theresienstadt coin was designed by Israeli artist and sculptor, David Shapira. The coin features a depiction of a Hanukkah lamp, which is a symbol of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, and the Theresienstadt concentration camp, which was a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. The combination of these two symbols on the coin serves as a reminder of the resilience and hope of the Jewish people during times of persecution and oppression.

Price

Date Mintage VG F VF XF AU UNC
5745 (1984) ✡ 11004 - - - - - -

Values in the table are based on evaluations by sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only for 1 Sheqel (Hanukka Lamp Series - Theresienstadt) 5745 (1984) coin.