Now, I know what I *think* this coin is, but I'd like to know what it *really* is. It's about the sive of a U.S. dime, and the date reads as 1293. The converter I used places that around 1876, assuming this is on the Hiriji calendar. Thanks for your help.
Your picture is awfully dark, but it looks like there is a toughra on the right side picture, which means it is probably Turkish, and if not it is almost certainly Egyptian. If no one else checks in with an ID in the next few hours, after dinner I'll try to download and lighten your picture, and then consult the 19th Century Krause.
Well, here's what I think it is, and also what I think it really is... I recognized the signature in the second frame as a symbol of the Ottoman Empire, and assumed that's what I bought. However, I have since found several Turkish coins bearing the same symbol. However, yet again, if the date does in fact convert to 1876, the state of Turkey is nearly 50 years from being formed, according to my research. This once again makes me believe it is Ottoman. I don't really mind what it turns out to be anymore, I just want to know. Edit: The slash in the left panel is an arabic 2
The spelling is "piasters" Bone, but IHMO the coin is more likely to be Egyptian KM#290, a cu-ni 2/10 Qirsh of Abdul Hamid II (see the large number "2" on the reverse). 1293 (correctly converted as 1876 by Tre), was his accession date, and as customary for Ottoman coins, that year is prominently displayed, with the actual issue date, expressed as the year of his reign - between the 10th (1884-5) and 35th (1909) year for this coin - is shown in smaller characters. I can't make out the two digit mint year and I'm not sure where it is located on this coin. Values in the 19th Century 3rd Ed. and the 20/21st Century 33rd range from $1-8 (F) to $20-75 Unc, depending on date. Mintages were as low as 250,000, and as high as 3.2-million. The toughra is the symbol of the Ottoman Empire, which was broken up at the end of World War I. It was also known during much of its history as the "Turkish Empire". However, Krause lists Ottoman coins under Egypt. After the Empire's breakup both Turkey and Egypt continued using the toughra on their coins.
Egyptian, eh? Never figured it'd go in that direction. This would qualify as an Egyptian Ottoman coin, then? Beneather the toughra is an arabic 12, it is unreadable in the lightened picture, and only just vaguely in the dark version. This would be the year of Hamid II's reign, making it minted in 1888? Regardless of how much/little the coin is worth, not a bad find I'd say.
1304AH ran from 9/30/86-9/19/87. (Remember, regnal year one was the accession year, so you only add 11 for regnal year 12.) There were 2,009,000 minted that year, valued by Krause at $1-20. :thumb: What is now Egypt was the political center of the Ottoman Empire in its final years.
Rulers of Egypt. Roy,the actual rulers of Egypt was the Khedives (hereditary governors of the Mohammed Ali dynasty).Egypt was nominally under the suzerainty of Ottoman Turkey,which is why the Egyptian coins are so similar to the Turkish ones. You can look here; www.rulers.org . Aidan.
