Egypt struck this piece to mark the opening of the new Cairo Opera House on the island of Gezira in October 1988 — itself a replacement for the original opera house that burned to the ground in 1971 after being converted into a parking facility following the 1967 war. The new complex was built with Japanese technical and financial assistance, a partnership that generated its own political commentary at the time.
The .875 fineness places it in the traditional 21-karat standard long used for Egyptian gold issues rather than the .900 common to most European commemoratives.
Egypt struck this piece to mark the opening of the new Cairo Opera House on the island of Gezira in October 1988 — itself a replacement for the original opera house that burned to the ground in 1971 after being converted into a parking facility following the 1967 war. The new complex was built with Japanese technical and financial assistance, a partnership that generated its own political commentary at the time.
The .875 fineness places it in the traditional 21-karat standard long used for Egyptian gold issues rather than the .900 common to most European commemoratives.