Catalog
1/2 Piastre - Victoria
| Issuer | Cyprus |
|---|---|
| Year | 1879-1900 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 5.83 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | VICTORIA QUEEN 1887 |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Cyprus came under British administration in 1878 as part of a convention with the Ottoman Empire, and this issue was among the first coinage struck for the new administration. The piastre denomination was retained deliberately — a concession to continuity on an island that had used Ottoman monetary units for centuries, even as London imposed its own governance.
The KM#2 series spans over two decades and multiple mint years, with 1881 being notable for an extremely low mintage relative to others in the run.