Egypt AH 1277(15) 500 qirsh
The coin shown is a gold 500 qirsh, from the reign of Sultan Abdul Aziz. 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 500 above. The reverse carries the accession date and the text minted in Misr (Misr is Arabic for Egypt). The date is written as AH 1277 year 15, which translates to about 1874 AD. Uslu[1] lists this issue as extremely rare.
The coin pictured was part of lot 13317 and sold on Sept 9, 2004 at the 2004 September (HWCA) Signature Sale #357 by Heritage Auctions for $3,220. The catalog description noted,
"Abdul Aziz gold 500 Piastres 1277AH Year 15, XF, sharply struck details. The reverse surfaces have been expertly repaired to smooth old broach marks. Extremely rare presentation issue with only 56 pieces struck, and perhaps 5 now known. Still a very collectible example and an opportunity to own this prestigious coin at a more affordable price level."
Recorded mintage: 56.
Specification: 42.720 g, 0.875 gold, 1.2018oz AGW.
Catalog reference: Fr-78 (formerly Fr-10), KM 265.
- 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]Uslu, Kaan, Beyazit, M. Fatih, and Kara, Tuncay, Ottoman Empire Coins, Istanbul: Mas Matbaacilik A.S., 2007.
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