Am Israel Chai

Israel Lives On
Israel's 18th Anniversary of Independence Coin 5726-1966

The proud declaration 'The people of Israel lives on" has its origin in the age old cry "David King of Israel lives and endures". It was used as an expression of hope, redemption and national freedom.
In Hebrew, letters are used for numerals. The letters "Het" and "Yod" represent the numbers 8 and 10, respectively. Together, they numerically add up to 18 and form the Hebrew word "Chai", which means "life". According to the Mishna, age 18 represents maturity in life, the age at which a young man is considered ready for marriage.

Obverse: Inside a somewhat concave surface in the upper left corner, the word "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic. Beneath, the mint year "5726-1966" in Hebrew and English. Around the lower border, the face value "5 Israeli Lirot" in Hebrew.

Reverse: On the entire field, a stylized inscription in Hebrew letters, "Am Israel Hai" - 'The People of Israel lives on", the word "Hai" whose numerical value is 18, being stressed. In the lower left border, the Hebrew inscription, "18 Years of the State of Israel".

Edge: The inscription "The 18th Year of the State of Israel".

Mint Marks: On the obverse of the proof coin, the letter "mem", right of the "5" of the face value.

Designer: Zelig Segal

Mint: Royal Dutch Mint, Utrecht, Holland