Egypt AH 1223(23) 1/2 zeri mahbub
The coin shown is a gold half mahbub from the reign of Sultan Mahmud II. It was struck at the Cairo Mint. The denomination 'mahbub' was used prior to the coinage reform of 1834, after which gold coins were denominated in qirsh. The obverse bears the toughra, or signature, of the sultan, with an ornate boundary of script and flowers. In this variety, no denominational value appears under the toughra. The reverse carries the accession date and the text minted in Misr (Misr is Arabic for Egypt). The date is written as AH 1223 year 23, which translates to about 1829 AD. This type was struck years 21-28.
The example pictured was sold by Heritage Auction Galleries (Lot 13224) on September 9, 2004, for $517. The catalog description noted, "Mahmud II gold 1/2 Mahbub 1223AH Year 23, KM195, choice brilliant UNC, an incredible example with full glittering luster. From the Lake Pearl Middle Eastern Collection."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 0.7-0.8 g, 0.875 fine gold, 16 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Fr-65, KM 195.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Uslu, Kaan, Beyazit, M. Fatih, and Kara, Tuncay, Ottoman Empire Coins 1687-1839 (AH 1099-1255), Istanbul: Anka Matbaacilik, 2010.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
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