Numismatics
Reviving the Egyptian Mint
The Ottoman governor Ibrahim Pasha al-Qabtan established the first Egyptian mint, or as it was known, the Darbkhana (minthouse), in the Citadel between his mosque and palace in 1709 AD (1121 AH). It remained in existence until it was renovated by Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1812 AD (1227 AH). He continued to patronize it, ordering its expansion and the addition of areas for scales, gold testing, and a prayer room…
May 31, 2023Striked in Egypt, the history behind the coin inscriptions
Under the title "Struck in Egypt," a cultural seminar was held on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at the Cairo Opera House. Organized by the Cairo Biography Initiative in cooperation with the Civilization Cinema Center, the seminar featured a lecture by numismatic researcher Professor Mohamed Abdel Hamid, who posed the question of how history can be discerned from the inscriptions on coins, and…
May 16, 2023King Fuad coin prices in Eritrea 2023 Part 2
As mentioned previously in the first part of the article "Egyptian Coins and Record Prices at Eretz 2023," a collection of coins from the reigns of King Fuad and Sultan Fuad was sold at Eretz Auction No. 28, held on March 21, 2023, achieving unprecedented record prices for Egyptian coins, in addition to many other foreign coins. The sold coins date from the years beginning with…
April 10, 2023New UAE currency notes in partnership with Check Mint
The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) has unveiled new Emirati gold and silver coins celebrating the UAE's achievements over the past 50 years. These coins will be available for purchase after Ramadan. The announcement, made during the Dubai Precious Metals Conference 2022, involves a partnership with Czech Mint…
April 9, 2023Nubnefer, an Egyptian coin from the last Egyptian pharaoh
A gold coin of King Nectanebo II, known as the “Nubnefer“ coin, was recently offered at Spink Auctions on April 3, 2023. Nectanebo II was the third and last king of the Thirtieth Dynasty, as well as the last native ruler of ancient Egypt. He reigned for 10 years between 360 and 342 BC before being overthrown by the Ptolemies. The Nubnefer coin – the first…
April 9, 2023Egyptian currency and record prices in Eritrea 2023 Part 1
A collection of Egyptian and Palestinian coins was sold at the 28th Eretz auction held on March 21, 2023, achieving unprecedented prices for Egyptian coins, in addition to several other foreign pieces. The coins sold date from 1916, during the reign of Sultan Hussein Kamel, through the issues of Sultan Fuad from 1920 to 1923, and beyond.
April 8, 2023Khedive Tawfiq and the reform of the Egyptian currency in 1885
The reform of the Egyptian currency in 1885 was a turning point in the history of Egypt. Under Khedive Tawfiq, the country faced financial collapse and war. Internal conditions in Egypt deteriorated after he assumed power, with financial problems being the root cause of Egypt's decline and the origin of foreign intervention. For any effective control over Egyptian affairs, the first and most necessary step was…
March 25, 2023A forged document for the sale of the coin of Julius Caesar's assassin
One of the rarest coins in the world, a replica of the Aurelius Brutus coin (the assassin of Julius Caesar), was sold with a forged title deed, and the seller was arrested! What happened? Richard Beale, owner and managing director of Roma Numismatics, was arrested…
March 13, 2023Palestinian Currency Museum
The Virtual Museum of Palestinian Currency is a free, interactive online museum documenting images and information about Palestinian currency, particularly coins, during the British Mandate period from 1927 to 1947. Launched in September 2020, the museum features images, documents, excerpts from official newspapers and magazines, and other documentary materials. The virtual exhibits allow users to view…
March 10, 2023Sultan Fuad's 1920 Riyal: Between Fact and Fiction
What is the truth about the Sultan Fuad riyal? Why is it considered one of the rarest Egyptian currencies, if not the rarest of all? And how possible is it to acquire this riyal? Despite the scarcity of historical sources about this issue and the mystery surrounding that period, to answer these questions we must travel back more than a hundred years in an attempt…
February 22, 2023Jeddah International Currency Exhibition – Fourth Edition
The fourth edition of the Jeddah International Coin Exhibition: Special coverage of the fourth edition of the Jeddah International Coin Exhibition by Mr. Hatem Al-Attar and Mr. Mubarak Al-Qahtani. The fourth edition of the Jeddah International Coin Exhibition, organized by the Saudi Numismatic Society under the theme and slogan "The Journey of the Kings of Al Saud," commenced on January 25, 2023.
January 30, 2023New commemorative coins for tourism promotion
Contributing to tourism promotion... with new commemorative coins. Egyptian Finance Minister Mohamed Maait affirmed that the Egyptian government is keen to maximize the role of the treasury and currency issuance in supporting national objectives. He stated that this will be achieved by issuing new commemorative coins to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, as well as to celebrate the bicentenary of the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun.
November 29, 2022Climate Summit Commemorative Coins - 100 Egyptian Pounds
To commemorate Egypt's hosting of the 2022 UN Climate Summit, the Treasury and the Mint Administration of the Ministry of Finance issued a commemorative silver coin with a face value of 100 Egyptian pounds. It is currently being sold at the Ministry's pavilion in the Green Zone in Cairo for 750 Egyptian pounds. The Cabinet decided to issue this commemorative, non-circulating silver coin in the 100-pound denomination to celebrate Egypt's hosting of the summit.
November 7, 2022100 years since Egypt's independence
What were the political circumstances surrounding Egypt's independence? And how did this affect its culture? A historical background: Today marks the centenary of Egypt's declaration of independence from the British protectorate, which was imposed on Egypt on December 18, 1914, following the outbreak of World War I and the establishment of the Kingdom of Egypt. After the war ended, several nationalist movements emerged in Egypt, calling for an end to…
March 15, 2022Shajar al-Durr dinars
Shajar al-Durr... Queen of the Muslims, the Guardian of the World and Religion, Umm Khalil al-Salihiyya. Shajar al-Durr, a slave of Turkish origin, was one of the concubines of King al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub. She possessed sharp intelligence, a strong personality, and captivating beauty—a combination that, when combined in a woman, gives her a powerful influence on men. And if these men...
March 12, 2022Egyptian publication for the war period
# Arabic Readings in Foreign Newspapers: What was the Egyptian currency issue during the First World War? The American magazine The Numismatist published an article in its October 1919 issue entitled "An Egyptian Issue of the War Period," which featured a 5-millime coin of Sultan Hussein Kamel dated 1916. The coin's description indicated that the obverse bore the name of Sultan Hussein Kamel and included the date…
July 4, 2019Royal Egyptian currency sticker
From the moment the Arab Collector magazine was established, its ultimate goal has always been to encourage and develop hobbies in Arab countries, sometimes through the digital magazine, sometimes through the videos we publish periodically, sometimes through the official website and the many services it offers, or through discussions and episodes that have been well-received by the majority of hobbyists. Despite all this, we felt…
January 16, 2019Janvier coin minting machine
This is perhaps the most accurate method currently known for counterfeiting currency: reverting to the original using a Janvier die for minting… The Janvier die was invented by the French sculptor Victor Janvier in 1899. He wanted to invent a machine that could reduce the design from the plaster mold made by the sculptor to the steel die used for minting coins. Simply put, the plaster mold is installed…
January 8, 2019Details of Sultan Hussein Kamel's coins
What are the Sultan Hussein Kamel coins that some people exploit for resale? Ancient Egyptian legend states that the letters HR on Sultan Hussein coins are an undeniable proof that the coin is unopened. Sellers often embellish the details of these letters when selling. Therefore, we would like to present these two pieces to you. The first piece is a riyal with a rating of 63, and it is in its original condition…
November 7, 2017Coin valuation and the difference between an Ancer and an Abbott Ancer
The difference between Uncirculated and Abbott Uncirculated: The term "Uncirculated" (UNC) describes the condition of a coin, meaning it has never been in circulation. It represents the highest degree of coin condition and also means a coin that has not been handled extensively or for a long period of time, and shows no signs of alteration, erasure, cleaning, or poor storage.
September 16, 2016