The coin was unearthed in excavations carried out by the IAA and funded by the Ir David Foundation (Elad) in the William Davidson Archaeological Park located between the Temple Mount and the City of David. The park is under the supervision of the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, Ltd.Ariel explained that in those times, coins were also used as a propaganda tool, to make announcements – such as the rise of the new king – or to advertise something.“This was true especially for silver coins, while bronze coins, less valuable, were more commonly used in economic exchanges,” he said. “During Hasmonean times, Jews did not strike their own silver coins. The first time such coins were minted in Jerusalem since the Persian period was during the First Jewish Revolt against the Romans between 66 and 70 and they were definitely stating, ‘We are here, an independent nation from the Romans.’ Bar-Kochba rebels also wanted to affirm that they were on the map and made a statement against the Romans in producing coins.” Bronze coins, as the one recently found, might have been a propaganda tool at a lower level, but striking them, dealing in them and collecting them for taxes still sent a political message, the professor pointed out.One of the questions that arises from the discovery of the coin, as well as from the other Bar-Kochba coins, is how they made their way into the Old City area if the rebels never arrived there.Ariel highlighted that a possible explanation is that the coin was a form of souvenir picked up by a Roman soldier and brought back to their legion camp. “Perhaps he found it in the pocket of a victim among the rebels and he brought it with him,” the archaeologist said.“You can use coins to learn about history. Bar-Kochba wanted to conquer Jerusalem but he did not succeed, and after this period, Jewish autonomy disappeared for 2,000 years.”