Egypt AH 1223(28) 10 qirsh KM-213
The coin shown is a 10 qirsh, composition gold, from the reign of Sultan Mahmud II. It was struck at the Cairo Mint. The obverse bears the toughra, or signature, of the sultan. Below the toughra is the denomination (qirsh), abbreviated as 'sh', with the number 10 above. 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 28, which translates to about 1834 AD.
The example pictured was sold by Heritage Auction Galleries as lot 13231 on September 9, 2004, for $517. The catalog description noted, "Mahmud II gold 10 Piastres 1223AH Year 28, similar to KM213, but with circles of dots on either side of the vine-like border design. On KM213, the vines have buds extending, but no separate dots. Choice AU-UNC, and the only example of this style that we have seen. Given the very high grade and first year of issue, it is not unreasonable to think that this may be a pattern. From the Lake Pearl Middle Eastern Collection."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 0.85 g, 15 mm diameter, 0.875 gold; this specimen 0.71 grams.
Catalog reference: Fr-70, similar to KM 213.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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