City of David

CITY OF DAVID
Fourth in the "Views of Jerusalem" Bullion Series

The City of Jerusalem today developed on the site of the historical City of David. About three thousand years ago, David captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his capital. His son, King Solomon, built the holy Temple on Mount Moriah, on the southern slopes of which the City of David spreads out. To the east, the City of David is bordered by the Kidron Valley and to the west, by the Tyropoeon Valley.
For David, there were advantages in capturing this area; it lay in a strategic position near to the Gihon Spring water source and it was surrounded by mountains –the Temple Mount to the north, Mount Zion to the west, the Abu Tor ridge to the south and Mount of Olives to the east - all providing a natural means of defense.
In addition, a good reason for David to establish his capital here was that this area was in the hands of the Jebusites and did not belong to any of the Tribes of Israel. Therefore, it was the ideal place in which to unite the people.

Obverse: Based on archaeological findings, a view of David's City in the time of King Solomon, crowned with the holy Temple and David's palace. Left, within the wall, are ancient steps which were used by the people when they visited the Temple on the three pilgrimage festivals. On the right-hand side, right of the wall, is the Gihon Spring. In the lower area are the steps leading down to the Siloam Tunnel thought to have been hewn out in the time of King Hezekiah and through which the waters of the Gihon Spring flowed under the houses in the City of David. Beneath is a Siloam inscription in ancient Hebrew script. The shape to the right represents David's harp. Wavy lines emerging from the harp denote the waters of the Gihon Spring. Within the harp is the inscription "City of David" in Hebrew and English.
Common Reverse: Lion of Jerusalem and prominent buildings of Jerusalem, within the outline of a coat of arms, the Holy Land Mint logo.
Inscriptions:  1oz. Fine Gold .9999 on the gold, 1oz. Fine Silver .999 on the silver, in English, "Jerusalem of Gold" in English and Hebrew and the mint year.

Face Design: Aharon Shevo
Common Reverse Design: Yaacov Enyedi

Minting: The Holy Land Mint