Bidspirit auction | Palestine - Templar Colonies Token

Palestine - Templar Colonies Token - 1/4 Para 1880-1917 - Large ”B&C” - Extremely Rare - NGC XF Details - Haffner CC-14b - B&C (Breisch & Gesellschaft) Only a few examples of this variety are known, a piece which appears at auction only a handful of times per decade. A special opportunity. The Templers were German Protestants who broke away from their church under the leadership of Christoph Hoffmann. They came to the Holy Land seeking to live according to Biblical traditions. In 1868 they settled in Haifa, Jaffa and Jerusalem, where they established farms, schools and churches, and became active in trade and industry. To address the chronic shortage of small change, the main financial organization of the Templers in Jerusalem issued tokens that circulated between 1880-1917. These tokens circulated in Jaffa, Haifa and Jerusalem, and were denominated in Paras corresponding to Ottoman currency. Following World War I, most surviving pieces were withdrawn and sold for scrap metal. It is believed that the tokens were struck by the Royal Mint of Württemberg. Obverse: Large ”B&C” inscription in center within beaded border. Reverse: Denomination ”1/4” in center within beaded border.