Sudan AH 1302(5) 20 piastres
The independent states comprising Sudan since the 14th C. were brought together under the Egyptian Pasha Muhammad Ali in 1820-1822. Egyptian domination was broken in 1881 AD during the Mahdi Rebellion and the British quickly stepped in, controlling the Sudanese government until independence was declared in 1956. Early Sudanese coinage shows similarity to both Egyptian and Turkish designs.
This specimen was lot 1689 in Stephen Album sale 30 (Santa Rosa, CA, January 2018), where it sold for $646.25. The catalog description[1] noted, "SUDAN: Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi, 1881-1885, AR 20 piastres, AH1302 year 5, struck at Omdurman, minor weakness of strike, Fine to VF. Only crown issue of the 'Mahdi' and rare. Struck in the year of the fall of Khartoum and the Mahdi's unexpected death six months later." Other denominations from this ruler are ten and hundred piastres, both rare.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: debased silver / billon, this specimen 23.36 g.
Catalog reference: KM-2.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 30, featuring the George Anderson Collection of Tibetan Coins, the Dr. John W. Lund Collection of Swedish Coins and the Mike Edwards Collection, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2018.
Link to:
- AH 1304(1) 20 piastres
- Coins and currency dated 1885
- return to coins of Sudan