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20 Fils - Ghazi I
| Issuer | Iraq |
|---|---|
| Year | 1938 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed effigy of King Ghazi I facing left, modelled by engraver Percy Metcalfe. The king is depicted with a short cropped hairstyle and a plain neckline. Arabic legend curves along the left and right periphery of the field, reading 'Ghazi I King of Iraq'. The portrait is rendered in a restrained, modernist style consistent with British Royal Mint engraving practice of the 1930s. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | غازي الأول ملك العراق (Translation: Ghazi I King of Iraq) |
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| Additional information |
Ghazi I died in April 1939, less than a year after this coin entered circulation — officially in a car accident at his palace in Baghdad, though the circumstances were widely disputed and sparked riots in which the British consul in Mosul was killed by an angry crowd. His short reign was marked by pan-Arab nationalism, open sympathy for Nazi Germany, and deep friction with the British mandate apparatus that still effectively controlled Iraqi foreign policy.
The .500 fine silver content reflects a wartime-era austerity standard adopted across several British-influenced monetary systems during the late 1930s.