25 Mils

Israel's first coin was a light aluminium 25 mil piece, a stopgap issued while the pruta series was still being designed, because British Mandate coins were running short. It shows a cluster of grapes copied from a Bar Kokhba coin, with Israel written in Hebrew and Arabic. It carries two Hebrew dates, 5708 and 5709, and the 5708 pieces were struck during the War of Independence itself; a newsreel from October 1948 shows them being produced under armed guard. Where exactly they were made is disputed: the Bank of Israel credits Jerusalem, while collectors point to an unsuccessful first batch at the Hakirya compound in Tel Aviv and the bulk of the work at the Michsaf cutlery factory in Holon, and the older references allow for more than one site. The coin only entered official circulation on 6 April 1949 and ceased to be legal tender in September 1950.