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1/4 Mahmudi - Yahya
| Issuer | Sharifate of Mecca |
|---|---|
| Year | 1825 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/4 Mahmudi |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Reverse description | Irregularly shaped hammered copper flan bearing a two-line Arabic inscription in the field, reading 'سنه ١٢۴۰' (Year 1240), corresponding to AH 1240 / AD 1825. The script is boldly struck in a naive calligraphic style characteristic of the Sharifate of Mecca's local copper coinage. The flan shows irregular edges, minor surface porosity, and green cuprous patination. No mint mark or additional devices accompany the date legend. |
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| Additional information |
The Sharifate of Mecca operated under Ottoman suzerainty but retained enough autonomous authority to issue its own copper fractional coinage for local circulation — a practical necessity given the chronic shortage of small-denomination currency throughout the Hejaz. This piece was struck under Yahya ibn Surur, whose tenure was itself a product of the Ottoman reassertion of control over the region following the destruction of the First Saudi State by Egyptian forces in 1818. The copper mahmudi fractions saw hard use in the markets surrounding the holy cities, and survivors in any decent state of preservation are genuinely scarce.