Egypt AH1327 (6)-H 1/20 qirsh

from the Ma’adi Collection

from the Ma’adi Collection

The coin shown is a 1/20 qirsh, composition copper, from the reign of Sultan Mehmed V. It was struck at the Heaton Mint, shown by the H mintmark at base of the obverse. The obverse bears the toughra, or signature, of the sultan, with the year of issue written below (as in year during the reign of the sultan, in this case year 6). A flower design is to the right of the toughra. The reverse carries the text 'minted in Misr'. Below this is the denomination 1/20 qirsh in written form, nisf 'ushr qirsh. Below this is the ascension year of Sultan Mehmed V, AH 1327. The date of the coin translates to 1913 AD. Uslu^[1] lists this issue as common.

This denomination represents a member of a coinage reform started in 1884 AD. Previous to that date, coins with a value less than one qirsh were given in the unit 'para'. All fractional qirshes after 1884 were given values directly proportional to one qirsh, e.g. 1/40 qirsh, 1/20 qirsh, 1/10 qirsh, etc. This suite of denominations was continued until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and subsequent loss of influence in Egypt, in 1914 AD.

Recorded mintage: 1,400,000

Specifications: 3.3 g, copper, 20 mm diameter.

Catalog reference: KM 301.

Sources:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Valentine, W.H., Modern Copper Coins of the Muhammadan States, London: Spink and Sons, 1911.
• ^[1]Uslu, Kaan, Beyazit, M. Fatih, and Kara, Tuncay, Ottoman Empire Coins, Istanbul: Mas Matbaacilik A.S., 2007.

Links:

• Egypt AH1327 (3)-H qirsh KM-305
• Egypt AH1327 (6)-H 5/10 qirsh
• Egypt AH1327 (6)-H qirsh
• Egypt AH1327 (6)-H 5 qirsh
• Egypt AH1327 (6)-H 10 qirsh
• Coins and currency dated 1913
• return to coins of Egypt