5 Qirsh 3 stars on shield

Syria's three-star shield coinage directly reflects the political turbulence of the United Arab Republic's collapse. When the September 1961 coup ended Syria's union with Egypt, the new government needed currency that asserted independence without the two-star UAR symbolism — hence three stars, representing a specifically Syrian national identity under the Ba'athist-influenced transitional administrations that cycled through Damascus across these years. The political instability of the period meant multiple governments issued against the same types.