“There was great excitement among both international and Israeli coin collectors on the day of the initial offering of the first Israeli bullion coin,” the Israel Coins and Medals Corp. said in a statement Wednesday. “In the morning, the telephone lines at our order call center crashed because of high demand and interest for the special gold coin.”

The Bank of Israel has issued and aptly named this series “Jerusalem of Gold”. The coins in the series are legal tender. Each contains 1 oz. of fine gold.9999 and has a face value of 20 New Sheqalim (NIS).

These are the very first Israeli gold bullion coins, priced in accordance with the daily international price of gold, plus a reasonable mark up over gold.

These bullion coins are equally valuable as collectors items and as financial investments. The Gold Bullion Coins in the “Jerusalem of Gold” Series will depict a treasured historical site in the eternal city of Jerusalem.

The obverse features the The Tower of David, rising above the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, near Jaffa Gate. The word “Jerusalem” appears above the Tower, again in all 3 languages, the Face Value of 20 New Sheqalim (NIS), mint mark and year. On the right side appear the words “1 oz. fine gold .9999” in Hebrew and English.

The reverse of each coin will depict The Lion of Megiddo, with its stylized curved tail, is taken from an ancient seal excavated in Megiddo (Armageddon) in the Jordan Valley, dating from the 8th cent. BCE. The seal belonged to Shema, the servant of Jeroboam II, Israelite King. The lion is also the symbol of the Tribe of Judah and of the eternal capital of Israel, Jerusalem. The same Lion of Megiddo appeared in the past on the Israeli 5 Lira Banknote (1958), 5 Lira Coin (1978), and on the Half Sheqel Coin (1980). Above the figure of the lion appears the State of Israel Emblem and below it the word “Israel” in English, Hebrew and Arabic..

One coin will be issued annually, starting from 2010 with the “Tower of David”. The 2011 coin in the series, will feature another timeless treasure, “The Western Wall” the last remnant of the Second Holy Temple.

The gold coins are valuable as collector’s items and as financial investments. The Tower of David edition will be limited to 3,600 coins. In addition, there is a strict limit of five gold coins per customer.

The coins in the series are legal tender and are issued by the Bank of Israel.

Sales of the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin will end on December 31 at 3 p.m. (Eastern Time).

Customers may order the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin until December 31 at the United States Mint’s secure Web site, http://www.usmint.gov/catalog, or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

Customers with TTY equipment may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468). Credit cards are billed as products are shipped from our fulfillment center. Because of possible price fluctuations, mail orders are not accepted. There is no household limit.

The obverse (heads side) design of the one-ounce $20 coin, which is struck in 24-karat gold, features Liberty, represented by a statuesque woman striding forward. The reverse (tails side) design depicts a young eagle flying during a magnificent sunrise. The coin is encased in a protective capsule and mounted on a wood platform housed in a velvet-lined, highly lacquered, mahogany wood box that bears inscriptions in a font similar to those used in the early 1900s, when the original coin was produced.

Included with each coin is an official hard-cover, companion book that chronicles the story of the original $20 1907 Double Eagle gold piece, and describes the modern technologies and processes that the United States Mint used to perfect the legal tender 2009 version. The book is not sold separately.

Sales for the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin began on January 22, 2009 – a special collectible resulting from modern 21st century digital design technology. To date, sales of the coin have exceeded 108,961 units. (more…)