Egypt AH 1223(32) 20 qirsh Fr-69
The coin shown is a gold twenty qirsh from the reign of Sultan Mahmud II. It was struck at the Cairo Mint. It is a one-year type. 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 32, which translates to about 1838 AD. The example pictured was sold by Heritage Auction Galleries as lot 13092 on September 9, 2004 at the 2006 January (HWCA) New York Signature Auction #397, for $431.25. The catalog description noted, "Mahmud II gold 20 Piastres 1223AH Year 32, AU55 ANACS, scarce one year type with roses on the obverse and reverse." The second specimen was lot 6315 in CNG Triton XXVIII (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $520.62. The catalog description[1] noted, "EGYPT, Ottomans. Muhammad Ali. AH 1220-1264 / AD 1805-1848. AV 20 Kuruş– 20 Qirsh/Piastres. Misr (Cairo) mint. Dually dated AH 1223 and RY 32 of Mahmud II (AD 1839). Toned. AU. From the Collection of an Alexandrine Numismatist, formed before 1955."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 1.70 g, 0.875 fine gold, the second specimen 18 mm diameter, 1.74 g, 12 h axis.
Catalog reference: MH 82; Damalı 30-MS-A13-32; Fr-69, KM 216.
- 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.
- [1]Gasvoda, Michael, Victor England, Eric McFadden, Dave Michaels, Bill Dalzell and Lance Hickman, Triton XXVIII, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, LLC, 2024.
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