1/2 Baiza - Fadl ibn Ali

Lahej was one of the few Arabian sultanates to strike its own coinage during the nineteenth century, operating with considerable autonomy under British protection despite sitting directly adjacent to Aden. Fadl ibn Ali ruled from 1874 to 1898, and this copper issue was produced at the very opening of his reign — likely the earliest coinage struck under his authority. The sultanate had no mint infrastructure of its own; the precise source of production remains debated among specialists.