Need help in identification arabic silver coin?

jdimmick · February 13, 2009 9:48AM

Customer brought this in. Can any body help me identify and value it? Id appreciate it a bunch!!

And is the date 1903?? (calendar conversion)

spoon · February 13, 2009 10:03AM

It's from Morocco, 10 mazunas.

I'll have to take a closer look for the mint and other info...

satootoko · February 13, 2009 10:32AM

satootoko · February 13, 2009 10:34AM

Pics are too small and dark for these old eyes to read the date.

spoon · February 13, 2009 11:18AM

OK, it's Berlin mint. This series was minted in Berlin, Birmingham, Paris and Fes. It was the first series of modern struck coinage for Morocco, most prior copper being cast. The date corresponds to 1903. This is the most common date and mint, worth about a dollar.

I was reading an old book I have and remember something neat about these. From Modern Copper Coins of the Muhammadan States, by W.H. Valentine, 1911:

[ He tells the history of Morocco, and a bit about the coinage. Now speaking of the then current sultan... ] "His adoption of a minted copper currency of neat design in place of the barbarous cast coins previously used has not been viewed with much favour by his subjects, their introduction in 1902 being quickly followed by revolutionary riots."

I'll have to check my other, actual history books to see if that was actually the case. Neat side note anyhow.

BCNumismatics · February 13, 2009 11:45AM

<< <i>Pics are too small and dark for these old eyes to read the date. >>

Roy,
It says '1321',which refers to AH1321.

Aidan.

jdimmick · February 13, 2009 12:07PM

Thanks a bunch

Ill pass this on

harasha · February 14, 2009 4:44AM

Modern Copper Coins of the Muhammadan States, by W.H. Valentine, 1911:

A companion volume to Copper Coins of India, by the same author.

spoon · February 14, 2009 5:01AM

Yep, he was fairly prolific. I've got a couple of his titles and other early Spinks publications in digital form, but can't find the link to where I got them. Google only does snippet view on most of theirs. I'm pretty sure it was the Microsoft book site.

Edit - found it! Here's Valentine's Sassanian Numismatics and the old thread where we listed some of the resources.

Need help in identification arabic silver coin?

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