This is the coin of Herod Agrippa I, minted in Jerusalem. It measures 16mm in diameter and is dated 37-43 AD. He was the grandson of the infamous Herod the Great and, like him, was an ambitious, ruthless and cruel ruler. The obverse is of an umbrella-like canopy with frills around it and perhaps little jewels hanging from them to attract the sunlight and draw attention to the ruler who used it. A canopy like this would have been carried over Agrippa to shield him from the hot Judean sun. The lettering says “King Agrippa”. The reverse is of three ears of barley and leaves, highlighting Judea's importance as a food producer for the Roman Empire.
Herod hated Christians! In Acts chapter 12 we read of his persecution of the early Church. He imprisoned and executed the Apostle James and then imprisoned the Apostle Peter, who was miraculously delivered from prison. We read that Agrippa died under the Judgment of God - "And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost". Acts 12v21-23. The Jewish historian Josephus also recounts this event - "A severe pain also arose in his (Herod Agrippa's) belly, and began in a most violent manner…And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life,” (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Chapter 19, Chapter 8).