Egypt AH 1223(30) qirsh
The coin shown is a silver one 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 1 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 30, which translates to about 1836 AD. This was one of the first series to be struck on milled planchets.
The specimen shown was sold as lot 13217 on Sept 9, 2004 at the 2004 September (HWCA) Signature Sale #357, for $115. The catalog description reads "Mahmud II Piastre 1223AH Year 30, toned AU-UNC, small spot on the reverse, very attractive and scarce quality for this era. From the Lake Pearl Middle Eastern Collection."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 1.4 g, 19 mm diameter, 0.833 silver.
Catalog reference: KM 183.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Valentine, W.H., Modern Copper Coins of the Muhammadan States, London: Spink and Sons, 1911.
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