Iraq 1955 50 fils

formerly in the Mountain Groan Collection

Iraq was for centuries a province of the Ottoman Empire but was coveted by the British for her oil deposits in the aftermath of World War One. Made a mandate of the League of Nations in 1922, a puppet kingdom was set up with a branch of the Hashemite clan as king. The kingdom lasted until Faisal II's overthrow in 1958 by an army junta which included Saddam Hussein. In 1959, the new regime issued all new coins. Under the monarchy, this denomination was minted 1931, 1933, 1937-38, 1953 and 1955.

Recorded mintage: 12,000,000 plus proofs.

Specification: 7 g, 0.500 fine silver, 26 mm diameter.

Catalog reference: KM 117.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.

Link to:

• AH 1372/1953 fils
• AH 1372/1953 100 fils
• Iraq 1955 20 fils
• Iraq 1955 100 fils
• 1959 fils
• 1959 25 fils
• Coins and currency dated 1955
• return to coins of Iraq