الهلال

The crescent moon on coins

In celebration of the holy month of Ramadan and the sighting of its blessed crescent moon, let us examine the crescent on coins issued in Egypt throughout Islamic history and before. First, we must understand that the crescent is a symbol used on various types of coins, some Islamic and many others non-Islamic. We have chosen a notable example: a Mamluk fils (coin) of Sultan al-Mansur Ala' al-Din Ali ibn...