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20 Qirsh - Mohammed local imitation
| Issuer | Sudan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1885 |
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| Currency | Piastre (1885-1898) |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by the elaborate Ottoman toughra cipher of Sultan Abdulmejid I, rendered in bold relief with characteristic calligraphic flourishes. The regnal year numeral ٩ (9) appears below the toughra in Arabic script. The field is populated with multiple five-pointed stars arranged in a loose circular pattern around the central device. The border features alternating segments of radiating lines and plain areas, creating a decorative inner rim typical of locally produced imitations of Ottoman coinage. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
This piece belongs to the chaotic coinage produced in Sudan during the Mahdist revolt, when Muhammad Ahmad declared himself the Expected Mahdi in 1881 and rapidly dismantled Egyptian administrative control. By 1885 — the year Khartoum fell and General Gordon was killed — centralized mint operations had collapsed, and locally struck imitations of Egyptian qirsh coinage filled the vacuum. These were produced under improvised conditions, typically by craftsmen with no formal die-cutting training, which accounts for the significant variation in fabric and strike quality seen across surviving examples.
The weight of 23.65g places this piece close to the Egyptian standard, suggesting the silversmith had access to genuine coins as templates, if not to proper minting equipment.