1512–1609 Medieval Prague Silver Groschen Rabbi Loew Golem

The Golem, A Warrior Built From Clay

For the vast majority of horror film aficionados, the mere mention of a Golem evokes memories of black-and-white stills from the 1915 film The Golem, a partially lost silent film that was the brainchild of German filmmaker Paul Wegener, who wrote, directed, and starred as a clay monster that was brought to life by a Jewish mystic to protect the Jews of the Prague Ghetto from antisemitic attacks. Wegener developed the story while filming The Student of Prague in 1913 after hearing about the old Jewish legend. He made two further Golem movies and firmly established himself as a pioneering master of German expressionist cinema.

A Classic Tale From Medieval Jewish Folklore

Thanks to Wegener, the Golem of Prague has become a classic tale known around the world, and here you have a coin that would have been around while the actual events are said to have taken place. You see, in 1580, Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the Talmudic mystic known as the Maharal, became aware of a villainous priest demanding the extermination of the Jewish community. So, he built a Golem—a giant warrior—out of clay dredged from the river Vltava, brought to life by the ritual invocation of the Shem HaMephorash—the true name of God. The golem repulsed the gathered mob and slew the priest, ending the persecution of the Prague Jews.

According to the folk tales, the Golem was broken into pieces and stored in the attic of Prague’s Old New Synagogue—Europe’s oldest active synagogue—for safekeeping. The Nazis, always on the lookout for mystical relics, seized upon the folk tale in the late 1930s and attempted to locate the missing pieces and use the monster for their own ends. According to a story told by survivors of the Holocaust, a Nazi agent went looking for the Golem in the synagogue attic only to die under suspicious circumstances thereafter. While the attic is not open to the public, no evidence of the Golem was allegedly found there when it was renovated in 1883. Some stories explain the pieces were buried in an unmarked grave near where the Žižkov Television Tower now stands during the renovation and were moved back at a later date.

Beautifully Packaged In A “Golem-Themed” Coin Folder

This genuine Silver Groschen coin from the Middle Ages was struck in Prague from 1512 to 1609 during the lifetime of Rabbi Loew. At that time, Prague was the capital of Bohemia, which is now part of the present-day Czech Republic where it is still that country’s capital. The Groschen is a name used for various European silver coins dating back to the late 1270s. The first Prague Groschen coins were minted in Bohemia in around 1300 and the coin was later adopted by most of the countries in Central Europe. This Rabbi Loew Golem Silver Groschen coin comes beautifully packaged in a “golem-themed” coin folder that tells the story of how a clay monster saved the Prague ghetto from antisemitic attacks and pogroms.

Don’t get clay feet now—act fast to get yours while you still can!