I don’t collect world coins but I’ve had this for a good number of years. I probably overpaid for it but I like it and that’s what counts. It came in a small presentation case. More like a slab that stands to show off the coin. I’m posting because although it’s a common coin you just don’t see them in this part of the world. I believe the date to be 1984 and that’s it’s from Egypt. Not sure of the Denomination but it’s of low value. I would guess a 1, 2 or 5 Piastre. It also has Tughra on one side and Pyramids on the other. The pyramids are easy to identify but most people may not know about the Tughra, also spelled Toughra, which is on the non-pyramid side. A tughra is a calligraphic monogram, seal or signature of a sultan affixed to all official documents and correspondence. It is also carved on the sultans seal and placed on the coins minted during his reign. The tughra was designed at the beginning of the sultan's reign and drawn by the court calligrapher. The first tughra belonged to Orhan I (1284 to 1359AD), the second ruler of the Ottoman Empire. These coins are not gold but are made of an aluminum-bronze. They are made of non-precious metals so the value is very low. Only in Mint State condition will they be worth a few dollars. They carry the pyramids and tughra patterns, although the tughra side looks different for each denomination. There are even variations in the tughra side for the same denomination.
Aluminum bronze really is cool stuff -- strong, corrosion-resistant, and it even discourages microorganisms. It's pretty, too. But since it's not precious, nobody cares about it. If the US ever started striking higher-denomination coins, this would be a great composition. Ah, who am I kidding -- some lobbyist would get them to wrap it around a zinc core so that the coins would rot away like current cents.
