Tunisia AH 1228 piastre
This specimen was lot 75772 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice Online Auction (Costa Mesa, CA, October 2024), where it sold for $504. The catalog description[1] noted, "TUNISIA. Piastre, 1813. Tunis Mint. Mahmud II. PCGS MS-61. A rather pleasing Mint State example, with much appealing brilliance retained, and handsome tone at the peripheries." Tunisia, nominally subject to the Ottoman empire since the sixteenth century, survived on piracy. This eventually became unacceptable to the seafaring powers, who quashed the pirates in the 1820's. The ruling beys, deprived of revenue, attempted to reform the state but only succeeded in incurring a large foreign debt. Bankruptcy was declared in 1869 and was used in 1881 as the pretext for French occupation. This type was struck AH 1225-1234 in the name of Mahmud II in Constantinople. It is scarce in nice condition. Sixteen kharub made a piastre or riyal, the largest silver coin issued in Tunisia in the eighteenth century. The date (١٢٢٨) is visible on the obverse.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 16 g, billon.
Catalog reference: KM-82.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, October 2024 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the S.P. Rutherford Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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