The United Arab Republic was the short-lived political union between Egypt and Syria proclaimed in February 1958, driven largely by Nasser's pan-Arab ambitions and Syrian Ba'athist enthusiasm for unification. Syria's participation ended abruptly in September 1961 following a military coup in Damascus, meaning the entire run of UAR-issue Syrian coinage spans barely three years. This 1959 piece was struck just one year into that experiment.
The .600 fine silver content reflects a deliberate step down from earlier Syrian silver issues, consistent with postwar regional trends toward debased subsidiary coinage.
The United Arab Republic was the short-lived political union between Egypt and Syria proclaimed in February 1958, driven largely by Nasser's pan-Arab ambitions and Syrian Ba'athist enthusiasm for unification. Syria's participation ended abruptly in September 1961 following a military coup in Damascus, meaning the entire run of UAR-issue Syrian coinage spans barely three years. This 1959 piece was struck just one year into that experiment.
The .600 fine silver content reflects a deliberate step down from earlier Syrian silver issues, consistent with postwar regional trends toward debased subsidiary coinage.