Egypt AH 1223(30) 20 qirsh
The coin shown is a silver twenty qirsh 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 20 above. The reverse carries the ascension date and the text minted in Misr (Misr is Arabic for Egypt). The date is written as AH 1223 year 30, which translates to about 1836 AD. This was one of the first series to be struck on milled planchets.
The coin pictured was sold by Heritage Auction Galleries (Lot 20777) on January 3, 2009, for $3,450. The catalog description[1] noted, "Mahmud II 20 Piastres/Qirsh AH1223 Year 30 (1836), AU55 NGC, bold details with medium gray original patina. The first machine-struck crown of Egypt, well-executed with oblique edge milling. Rare type and highly elusive in this exclusive grade. 27.86 grams. From the Grundy Collection."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 27.15-28.06 g, 37 mm diameter, 0.833 silver.
Catalog reference: Davenport 14, KM 186.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Tucker, Warren, and Scott Cordry, Heritage Signature Auction 3004: World Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2009.
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