For other coins of this region, also check out
the following pages:
AFGHANISTAN
COIN & CURRENCY PAGE
1800
YEARS OF IRAQ COINS & CURRENCY
These unusual terracotta
tokens were produced in the Persian Gulf area around the 11th and 12th
centuries A.D. At the time copper coins were not in
production. The tokens were produced by merchants or
money-changers to provide change for small purchases. The tokens
were rarely seen, until a recent hoard was discovered. This hoard
included a number of different types. They all are small (about
10-14mm), with various Islamic inscriptions on them. It is an
unusual and rarely seen form of money.
Item
C-TERRA PERSIAN GULF TERRA-COTTA TOKEN,
11th-12th VF-XF $5.00
Item
C-TERRAx10 10 MIXED OF THE ABOVE TERRA-COTTA
TOKENS $24.95
The
Mamlukes ruled an area including Syria, much of the Holyland and
Egypt from 1250 to 1517AD. The Mamlukes were slaves purchased as
boys, usually from Russia. Eventually
the
slaves overthrew their masters, the Ayyubids,
and
established their own dynasty. However they continued to import
slaves,
and usually choose their leaders from the ranks of the slaves, thus
their
ruler was also a slave! Thus the Mamlukes are known as the
"Slave-Kings".
We offer three coins from these unusual monarchs. The first
is a gold Ashrafi of Qansuh II struck in Cairo, Egypt between 1501 and
1516AD. Qansuh was defeated by Ottoman Sultan Selem I in 1516AD,
leading to a complete collapse of the Mamluk Dynasty the following
year. We also offer a Mamluk silver 1 Dirham and silver
fractional Dirham. The Fractional Dirham was struck using
the dies for the larger 1 Dirham coin, even though the blank is less
than half the size of the die! The Fractional Dirham tend to be
square or rectangular, however they come in a variety
of shapes as the mint workers were paid on how many they produced, not
on
how the coins looked.
Item L-MAM-ASH MAMLUK GOLD ASHRAFI, QANSUH II 1501-1516
F-crude $175.00
Item L-MAM-DIR MAMLUK SILVER DIRHAM 1260-1421AD
Good-crude
$5.00
Item L-MAM-FRA MAMLUK SILVER FRACTIONAL DIRHAM
1260-1421AD
VG-crude $3.50
The Timurid dynasty ruled much of Central
Asia from during the 14th and 15th century. This silver Tanka was
struck by Sultan Husayn Bayqara, the last great Timurid rular, at his
mint in Astrabad (now in Iran). Though the Timurid dynasty was
founded by a barbarian, Husayn Bayqara was a
great supporter of the arts and literature. He ruled almost 40
years, from 1469 until 1506. Upon his death the dynasty quickly
collapsed. 
ISLAMIC IRAN COMMEMORATES
ISLAM AND JERUSALEM 
Shortly after coming into power in 1979, the
revolutionary Islamic government of Iran issued two commemorative coins
that caused a bit of a stir in some diplomatic circles. The first
is a copper-nickel 20 Rials dated both SH1358 and AH1400
(AD1979). It pictures banners with Islamic inscriptions covering
the earth. The coin commemorates the 1400th anniversary (based on
the Muslim lunar calendar) of the Prophet Mohammed’s flight from Mecca
to Medina in 622AD. The event, known as The Hijra, marks the
start of the Muslim calendar. Our price for this historic coin is
less than half of its $15 catalog value. The other coin is a 1
Rial coin picturing the Mosque of Omar - which is located in Jerusalem,
Israel. The Mosque, also known as the Dome of the Rock or Qubbet
el-Sakhra is one of the holiest sites to Jews, Muslims and
Christians. It is the site of the original Jewish Temple, where
Jesus preached. The Foundation Stone or Rock at the center
of the dome was where many Jews believe that Abraham offered to
sacrifice his son Isaac. Muslims believe that it is the spot where the
Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. The aluminum-bronze clad
steel coin 1 Rial is dated SH1359 (AD1980). 
Suleyman the Magnificent ruled
the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566. A powerful monarch, he expanded
his empire and nearly conquered much of Europe. Though Suleyman
may have been magnificent, his coins tended to be small and
crude. We are pleased to offer two silver coins of this important
ruler. The first is a small silver Akche. The Akche was the
most widely used coin of the Ottoman Empire at the time, though,
because of its low value, bags of them were needed for any major
transaction. The other coin is a rare silver Medino (3 Akche)
minted in Amid, now known as Diyarbakir in the center of the Kurdish
area of Turkey. It is dated AH926, which corresponds to 1520AD. LARGE OLD OTTOMAN SILVER COIN OF SELIM III
EGYPTIAN COIN SETS
A COIN OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST COIN COLLECTOR
The United Arab Republic was
established in 1958 through a union of Egypt and
Syria. Its leaders hoped it would be the
founding of a union that would eventually include most of the Arab
nations. Syria issued this silver 50 Piastre coin in 1959 to
commemorate the first anniversary of the United Republic. The
coin features an eagle with a shield with 2 stars, representing the 2
member nations. The United Arab Republic collapsed 2 years later
when Syria withdrew, though Egypt continued to use the name for another
10 years. We offer this historic coin at far less than its $12.00
catalog value.
PRESIDENT ASSAD PUTS HIMSELF ON SYRIAN COIN
This two coin set includes a
1/2 Lirah featuring a Menorah and a 1 Lirah showing three pomegranates,
a design based on the ancient coins of Israel. Both of the
copper-nickel coins are dated 1970 in the Hebrew calendar
In 1980 the coins were withdrawn from circulation when a new, revalued
currency was introduced. JEWISH HERO SQUASHED BY AN ELEPHANT!
BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX BI-METALLIC COMMEMORATIVE
Saudi Arabia issued two
bi-metallic 100 Halala coins in 1999 (AH1419). The regular issue
features a palm tree and a pair of crossed swords. The
commemorative issue honors the 100th anniversary of the Saudi
Kingdom. Saudi Arabia dates it's founding to a night in 1902 when
Abdul Aziz ibn Saud and 40 of his followers did a daring midnight raid,
capturing the Ottoman fort at Riyadh. With the support of the
conservative Islamic Wahhabi clergy, Abdul Aziz declared a Jihad,
or holy war against the Ottomans and other rulers who controlled the
Arabian Peninsula. After the defeat of the Ottoman's in
World War I by Allied forces, Abdul Aziz conquered neighboring Hejaz,
and consolidated his kingdom into what is today Saudi Arabia. The
design of the coin features extensive calligraphy as well as a stylized
representation of a palm tree, and the fort. The 100
years from1902 to 1999 is based on the lunar Hegira calendar, which has
slightly shorter years than a solar calendar.
In 1971, after Great Britain
terminated its promise to protect them from external aggression, seven
sheikdoms on the Arabian Peninsula joined together to form the United
Arab Emirates. This three-coin set of the current coins of the
United Arab Emirates includes the 1998 25 Fils showing a Gazelle, the
2005 seven-sided 50 Fils showing oil derricks (oil being the source of
much of their wealth) and the 1998 1 Dirham showing a coffee pot.
All three coins are Brilliant Uncirculated. 
This unusual, crude silver Dirham was issued by the
Rasulid King Isma'il. in 1397AD in what is now Yemen. The coin
was called a "Monkey Dirham" in contemporary sources because of the
strange seated figure that appears on the coin. Though the figure
was supposed to be a seated man, many mistook it for a monkey due to
the coins crude design and weak strike. The coin was struck in
al-Mahjam. At the time it was a wealthy city and one of three
capitals of the Rasulid Kingdom. Today it is a village
of straw huts. 
This four coin set features the current coins of the
Yemen Republic. The set includes the 2004 bi-metallic 20 Rials
that features the rare and endangered
Dragon's Blood Tree. The tree that is found on the island of Sokotra
(Sucotra, Sogotra),
located approximately 200 miles (340km) off the coast of Yemen in the
Indian
Ocean. The sap of the tree has been
harvested for medicine since ancient times. The 10 Rials
features the famous 17th century Shaharah stone bridge. The 32
meter limestone bridge links two mountaintop villages seperated by a
gorge. A government building is on the 5 Rials and a stylized
eagle is on the 1 Riyal. All four coins are Uncirculated. AFGHANISTAN COIN
& CURRENCY PAGE CRUSADER COINS WITH STAR OF DAVID 1800 YEARS OF IRAQ
COINS & CURRENCY LAWRENCE OF ARABIA COINS FROM HEJAZ SILVER COIN CELEBRATES KUWAITS 15th ANNIVERSARY OF
INDEPENDENCESILVER COIN OF SALADINBEAUTIFUL MEDIEVAL UMAYYAD SILVER DIRHAMS
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