ok, so I've had this coin over a year. It was one of many coins I purchased at an auction when a dealer closed up his shop. He had this piece labeled as Egypt - 1/2 zeri muhbub. After looking into it, and comparing this piece to the example in Krause, I took it to another dealer who looked at it for about a second and handed it back. 'Fake,' he said. 'Gold doesn't wear like that.' I respect his expertize on the subject, but as for the gold comment, I thought - it sort of depends on the purity of the content. But, because the devices looked nothing like what I should, I tossed it asside as a fake. The other day, as I'm helping someone here identify a coin I knew was from Turkey - I happen across a coin that looks very familiar. the 1/2 Hayriye Altin - AH1223, this one is labeled yr 21 at 12 o'clock in the inner circle of the reverse. Now, I think it's still fake, because te obverse has two circles within the inner circle at 6 o'clock, which don't look like they are supposed to be there, and the Taghra (I think that's right) appears crude. All that said, even a blind squirrel sometimes finds a nut.
It's spelled "toughra" Rick. I agree that the coin just doesn't have the "look and feel" I associate with Turkish gold. In defense of your seller, the toughra was used on coins throughout the Ottoman Empire, including Egypt, and it would be an easy mistake for someone not particularly familiar with the coins of the area. In other words ignorance, not fraud.
Rick,the Toughra not only appears on Ottoman Turkish & Egyptian coins.It is found on the coins of the following countries; Crimea. Afghanistan. Iran. Sudan. Pakistan. Bahawalpur. & Hyderabad. Pakistan is itself a British Commonwealth country.Bahawalpur was an Indian Princely State that acceded to Pakistan upon the independence of Pakistan in 1947 as the Dominion of Pakistan. Bahawalpur retained its autonomy under the Amir until 1955. Hyderabad was an Indian Princely State which attempted to become an independent constitutional monarchy within the British Commonwealth under the Nizam,but was invaded by Indian soldiers in 1948.As a result,Hyderabad became part of the Dominion of India. Aidan.
