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2 1/2 Dirhams / 1/4 Rial - Abd al-Aziz Berlin Mint
| Issuer | Morocco |
|---|---|
| Year | 1903 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 21/2 Dirhams = 1/4 Rial (1/4 MAH) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central circular cartouche enclosing a multi-line Arabic inscription in bold thuluth script, denoting the Azizi monetary authority and the coin's fineness. The cartouche is surrounded by a continuous field of flowing Arabic calligraphic text arranged in curvilinear bands, filling the entire space between the inner circle and the outer border. A fine dotted inner ring separates the central cartouche from the surrounding legend, while a beaded border runs along the outer rim of the coin. The overall design reflects the ornate North African Islamic calligraphic tradition characteristic of Sharifian coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | المسكوك العزيزي الكيڢية ڢيه خمس اجزاء عرڢية لتكون الحڧوڧ بها مستوڢية (Translation: Minted under Azizi authority Containing five customary parts To be sufficient for obligations) |
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| Additional information |
This issue dates to the final years of Abd al-Aziz's reign, when the Makhzen was hemorrhaging sovereignty to European creditors and the 1904 Entente Cordiale was already being negotiated over Morocco's head. The Berlin mint contract — awarded to the German firm rather than Paris or London — was itself a minor diplomatic maneuver, Abd al-Aziz playing European powers against one another to delay the inevitable. It didn't work. The Algeciras Conference of 1906 effectively ended Moroccan financial independence, and Abd al-Aziz was deposed by his brother Hafid in 1908.
Y#20.1 denotes the Berlin Mint variety, distinguished from the Paris striking of the same type by subtle differences in die preparation documented in Moroccan series references.