صورة نادرة(عشرين قرش المهديه عام 1311هـ)

This Sudanese 20 piastres coin was minted at the Mahdist capital of Omdurman in the Hejira year 1311 (15th July 1893 to 4th July 1894). The Sudan was ruled by Egypt until the Mahdist revolt resulted in the defeat of Anglo-Egyptian forces there in 1881. The revolt lasted until 1898 when the Sudan was finally retaken and subsequently established as an Anglo-Egyptian condominium. From 1884 to 1885, Khartoum was besieged and finally taken by the Mahdi's army. General Gordon, the governor, was famously killed on the palace steps. The Mahdi Mohammed Ahmed and his successor the Khalifa Abdullah ibn Mohammed ruled the country until the latter's defeat at the battle of Omdurman in 1898.



The obverse of this coin bears the toughra of Khalifa Abdullah ibn Mohammed. The toughra is an ornate calligraphic design representing the title of the ruler. Below the toughra can be seen the coin’s denomination in Arabic script. The toughra stands above two ligated leafy branches and there is another branch above right. Above the toughra are nine flowers in three groups of three.



The top line of Arabic script on the reverse gives the year number 11 under three flowers (as the number 11 is quite faint and unclear in the main photograph below, I have included a close-up which shows the number 11 below the three flowers). This is the regnal year of the Khalifa Abdullah ibn Mohammed. Below that, the Arabic script reads duriba fi Omdurman – “struck in Omdurman”. The bottom line gives the Hejira year of striking as 1311. The Arabic script stands within a wreath of two ligated branches and spears.



This coin measures 34 mm., and I have conservatively graded it in About Fine condition, though much of what appears like wear on the coin is in fact the result of weak striking. These coins were struck in both copper and billon (a small amount of silver alloyed with copper). I am unsure which metal this example has been struck in, but the copper colour appears a little pale and I therefore suspect it to be billon. There is a degree of shine and lack of patina on the reverse, which shows that the coin has been cleaned at some time in the past.

شكرا سوركوتي على هذه المعلومة القيمة..
يحكى انه حدثت مشادة كلامية بين نميري والقذافي
نميري قال للقذافي لماذا تعين وزير زراعة وليس
لديكم زراعة ؟ فما كان من القذافي الا ان سأل النميري
اذن فلماذا تعين انت وزير مالية ؟؟
سبحان الله عندنا عملة مصنعة و لنا بيت مال منذ المهدية
ومازلنا افقر خلق الله ..
العشرين قرش تساوي كم بسعر اليوم ؟؟
محمد عبد الله

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