Syria AH 1338 dinar
This specimen was lot 1503 in Stephen Album sale 41 (Santa Rosa, CA, September 2021), where it sold for $57,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"SYRIA: Faisal I, 1920, AV dinar, 1920/AH1338, crowned royal coat of arms with Arabic legend, dinar al-mamlakat al-suriyat (dinar of the Kingdom of Syria) around, date below // faysal al-awwal (Faisal the First) tughra in Arabic within floral wreath, voided heptagram above, date below; a superb lustrous specimen and the finest-graded example by either NGC or PCGS; an estimated mintage of only 12 pieces, a coin of tremendous rarity and great historical significance! PCGS graded MS64 (Secure Holder / Gold Shield), RRR.
The Arab Kingdom of Syria was a self-proclaimed, unrecognized state that began as a "fully and absolutely independent Arab constitutional government" announced on 5 October 1918 with the permission of the British military and gained de facto independence as an "Emirate" after the withdrawal of the British forces from OETA (Occupied Enemy Territory Administration) East on 26 November 1919. It was proclaimed as a Kingdom on 8 March 1920.
As a "Kingdom" it existed only a little over four months, from 8 March to 25 July 1920. During its brief existence, the kingdom was led by Sharif Hussein bin Ali's son Faisal bin Hussein. Despite its claims to the territory of Greater Syria, Faisal's government controlled a limited area and was dependent on Britain which, along with France, generally opposed the idea of a Greater Syria and refused to recognize the kingdom.
The kingdom surrendered to French forces on 25 July 1920. Faisal then lived in exile in England for about one year before being proclaimed King of Iraq."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 6.70 g, gold.
Catalog reference: KM-67, Fr-10, Schön-A1,
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, Auction 41, featuring the Dick Nanta Collection of Giray Khans, Part II, the Charles Opitz Collection of Ethnographic Money, Part II, and the Allan F. Pacela Collection of Chinese Coins. Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2021.
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