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50 Qirsh / Piastres
| Issuer | Syrian State |
|---|---|
| Year | 1929-1937 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic, Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central medallion displaying the denomination '٥٠' in Eastern Arabic-Indic numerals above '50 PIASTRES' in Latin characters, with the Arabic word 'قرش' (piastres) inscribed above the numeral within the inner circle. The medallion is set within an ornate cartouche of interlaced arabesque scrollwork with stylised palm fronds flanking either side. A curved ribbon-shaped banner at the base carries the French legend 'ETAT DE SYRIE' (State of Syria) in relief. The upper arc of the field bears the Arabic inscription 'دولة سورية' in bold relief, and the entire design is enclosed within a serrated outer rim border consistent with the obverse. |
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| Additional information |
Syria's coinage during this period was administered entirely by the Banque de Syrie et du Liban, a French-controlled institution operating under the League of Nations mandate granted to France after World War I. The franc-anchored monetary system imposed on Syria was deeply resented by Arab nationalist factions, and these silver piastre coins circulated through a politically volatile decade that included the suppression of the Great Syrian Revolt of 1925–1927 and the failed Franco-Syrian Treaty of 1936, which the French parliament ultimately refused to ratify. The .680 fineness was a deliberate step below the traditional .835 silver used in Ottoman-era coinage that Syrian merchants still remembered.