IOVΛIAC KAICAΡOC, three grain ears bound together / TIBEΡIOY KAICAΡOC LIς (=Year 16 of Tiberius = AD 29-30 AD), simpulum. 17mm, 2.33 grams. Mint of Jerusalem. SNG ANS 367, AJC II 21.

Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from the year 26 to 36. He is best known today for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and later ordered his crucifixion. Pilate's importance in modern Christianity is underscored by his prominent place in both the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. Due to the Gospels' portrayal of Pilate as reluctant to execute Jesus, the Ethiopian Church believes that Pilate became a Christian and venerates him as a martyr and saint, a belief historically shared by the Coptic Church.