Half Israeli Lira Banknote (Tombs Of The Sanhedrin)

½ Lira Israeli Lira (Issued 1958)

A cool sage green dominates the palette of this 1958 half-lira note, rendered across fine intaglio engraving against a warm salmon-pink background of closely spaced horizontal lines that add depth and texture to the overall composition. The green tones shift subtly in intensity between the central vignette and the surrounding guilloché work, a technique widely employed in mid-twentieth century banknote design to deter reproduction and lend the note an authoritative, structured appearance. Pale cream paper provides the underlying ground, allowing both the green engraving and the salmon ruling to register with clean contrast. Together, these colour choices reflect the restrained, purposeful aesthetic that characterised early Bank of Israel issues, balancing national symbolism with the practical demands of security printing.

On the front, the central image depicts a young female agricultural worker, a figure emblematic of the pioneering kibbutz movement that was central to the identity of the newly established State of Israel. She stands in three-quarter pose, wearing a short-sleeved work shirt with a small emblem on the sleeve, a belted skirt, and carries a large wicker basket filled with round fruits — most likely oranges or citrus — held before her with both hands. Behind her stretches a richly engraved agricultural landscape featuring cultivated fields receding toward rolling hills, a cluster of buildings suggesting a rural settlement to the left, and rows of what appear to be vines or low crops in the middle ground. The entire vignette is executed in fine intaglio line engraving, with careful cross-hatching used to model the figure’s clothing and the depth of the landscape. To the upper left, the issuing authority is rendered in Hebrew script — בנק ישראל, meaning Bank of Israel — set against the salmon-ruled background. The large fraction denomination “½” appears prominently in the upper right corner and again in the lower left, both instances printed in bold green numerals with clear typographic authority. Along the lower edge, the denomination in Hebrew reads חצי לירה ישראלית, meaning “half Israeli lira.” Below the central vignette, two signatures appear in cursive script, accompanied by Hebrew text identifying the signatories as the Governor and the Chairman of the Board of the Bank, with the year 1958 printed beneath in Western numerals. The surrounding border is composed of repeating horizontal salmon-pink lines interspersed with fine green guilloché patterns that frame the entire design.

The reverse presents a tightly engraved architectural vignette occupying the right-hand portion of the note, depicting what appears to be an ancient rock-cut tomb entrance — a monumental doorway carved directly into stone, with a classical pediment above the lintel and the dark void of the tomb interior visible beyond the threshold. This image is consistent with the tombs of the Sanhedrin or similar ancient Judaean burial monuments found in and around Jerusalem, rendered with careful attention to the texture of the hewn stone and the deep shadows within the archway. The engraving is executed in the same sage green ink as the front, with dense cross-hatching conveying the roughness of the rock face. To the left of the vignette sits a large, plain oval watermark area in pale cream. The serial number 244913 T/3 appears twice — once in the upper left region and once in the lower right — printed in green. The issuing authority is stated in three languages: בנק ישראל in Hebrew at the top centre, “BANK OF ISRAEL” in English along the right vertical margin, and بنك إسرائيل in Arabic along the lower edge, reflecting the multilingual character of Israeli currency at this period. The denomination “½” is repeated in the lower left in bold green numerals. Fine horizontal salmon-pink ruling runs across the full background of the reverse, matching the front in its security line pattern. A small Hebrew caption beneath the architectural vignette provides a descriptive label for the monument depicted.

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