Sarah

SARAH
Official Medal, 2007/5767
First in a New Series of Medals honoring “Mothers in the Bible”.

Sarah, the wife of the Patriarch Abraham was said to be a woman of special beauty. According to Rabbinical commentary, she was as beautiful at the age of a hundred as she was at twenty and at seven. She had an outstanding personality and stood beside Abraham, playing as important a role as he did. Her wisdom was recognized by G-d, when He told Abraham "In all that Sarah has said to you, hearken to her voice" (Genesis 21:12). Her name Sarai, meaning "princess of her people", was changed to Sarah because she was a "princess to all mankind". However, Sarah was barren. She and Abraham had lived a childless life until, at age ninety, the divine promise came true. Sarah gave birth to Isaac and thus became the Mother of a Nation. Following our “Monitin” medals honoring four outstanding men of the Bible – Abraham, Joshua, David, and Mordechai – we begin a new series honoring the four Matriarchs of the Jewish People: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. The first medal is devoted of course to Sarah, our “queen mother”.

Obverse: The likeness of a woman and her baby and the words “and I will bless her” (Genesis 17:16).

Reverse: On the common reverse of all medals in the series, a flame – an eternal flame, symbolizing the lineage that began with the first matriarch and continues until this day.

Edge: Gold and Silver medals: Smooth. Bronze and Pure Gold medals: Milled

Designer: Face: Zippi Goldschmid. Reverse: Dina Avinoam.

Engraving: Bulgaria

Mint: Silver and Bronze medals: Bulgaria. Gold and Pure Gold medals: ICMC Mint.