Sidi Mohammed III (Mohammed ben Abdallah) pursued an aggressive trade normalization policy through the 1770s, signing commercial treaties with multiple European powers and establishing Essaouira as a purpose-built Atlantic port to redirect commerce away from European-controlled enclaves. The mithqal denomination, considerably heavier than contemporary European crowns, was intended partly for large mercantile transactions in this expanding trade economy.
Marrakesh mint output for this type is irregular — dies were cut locally and show greater variation in alignment and depth than contemporary Fes issues.
Sidi Mohammed III (Mohammed ben Abdallah) pursued an aggressive trade normalization policy through the 1770s, signing commercial treaties with multiple European powers and establishing Essaouira as a purpose-built Atlantic port to redirect commerce away from European-controlled enclaves. The mithqal denomination, considerably heavier than contemporary European crowns, was intended partly for large mercantile transactions in this expanding trade economy.
Marrakesh mint output for this type is irregular — dies were cut locally and show greater variation in alignment and depth than contemporary Fes issues.