Israel: Latest Jerusalem Of Gold Premium Bullion Coin Series Features The National Library

This impressively designed building has an important role in commemorating Jewish history and heritage. According to the National Library Law enacted in 2007, which gave the library independent status separate from the Hebrew University, the library’s main purpose is to collect, preserve, cultivate and endow treasures of knowledge, heritage and culture, with emphasis on the people of Israel, the Land of Israel and the State of Israel. Located in Jerusalem, the National Library serves as the state’s authority responsible for the preservation of the written treasures of Israel and the Jewish people. The iconic National Library structure was inaugurated in 2023 and is home to tens of millions of books, manuscripts, newspapers, photographs, maps and more, rendering it one of the greatest centres for Jewish history and heritage in the world.

The first impetus for the establishment of a national library was initiated as early as 1892, with the formation of the Bet Midrash Abarbanel Library in Jerusalem by B’nai B’rith and additional partners. The library created great interest which was a sign of a national awakening in the early years of the Zionist period. In 1925, when the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was opened, the books of the Bet Midrash Abarbanel Library were handed over to the University and the library's name was changed to the Jewish National and University Library. The library continued to receive donations and special collections, among them, thousands of books that arrived in the 1930’s as donations from the libraries of German Jews fleeing after the rise to power of the Nazis and unable to take the books with them in exile. At the beginning of the 1950’s, preparations for the new campus of the Hebrew University in Givat Ram in Jerusalem began and in 1960, the library was moved to the Lady Davis Building within the new University campus.

It was in 2007 when the National Library embarked upon an ambitious journey of renewal for the 21st century, promoting access and encouraging meaningful engagement with the treasures of Jewish and Israeli culture as never before. The Library’s renewal, in partnership with Yad Hanadiv, a Rothschild Foundation, has centred on a range of innovative educational, cultural, and digital initiatives. The project culminated in the opening of NLI’s new David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Building in the Kiryat HaLeom - National Quarter - of Jerusalem in October 2023. After having taken more than a decade to plan and construct, the building is considered one of the most impressive public buildings in Israel. Stretching over an area of about 46,000 square meters or 495,139 square feet, the library structure includes large reading halls and an innovative robotic book storeroom that applies advanced technology for the preservation of archived information. The structure is also considered one of the ‘greenest’ buildings in Israel with about 30% of its electricity generated by solar panels on its roof.

The gold premium bullion coins are produced by the Holy Land Mint at their facilities in Nesher, Haifa on behalf of the Bank of Israel and designed by Moshe Pereg. The obverse side features a view of the front and side of the new National Library of Israel edifice, with trees, flower beds and people in the area around the building. Immediately above the primary design is the denomination 20 NEW SHEKELS in Hebrew, English and Arabic along with the year 2024. Above the primary design and along the upper rim is the text JERUSALEM shown in Hebrew, English and Arabic. The Star of David mintmark is placed just under the building and the lower border is inscribed with the gold fineness and weight 1OZ. FINE GOLD .9999 shown in English and Hebrew. The reverse side which is common to all coins in the series depicts a stylised Lion of Megiddo with its accentuated curved tail and based on an ancient 8th century BC seal excavated in Megiddo (Armageddon) in the Jordan Valley that belonged to Shema, servant of King Jeroboam II.  Above the lion is the Israel State Emblem and below is the text ISRAEL in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Available from August, each coin is encapsulated and presented in a polished hardwood custom case accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. For additional information, please visit the retail webpage of the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation.