VIRTUAL JEWISH MUSEUM

Ottoman & Mandate Coinage

The British replaced Ottoman coins with Egyptian ones before issuing coins specifically for Palestine.

Ottoman.Early Denominations_edited

A variety of coins circulated in this area from a succession of regimes. At the beginning of Ottoman rule, these 4 denominations were issued by the Ottomans. They facilitated large, smaller, and daily transactions.

Ottoman.Gold Sultani

Suleiman the magnificent (1520-1566) issued these gold coins, called 'sultani', to compete with the dominant trade coin of Europe - the Venetian gold ducat. It similarly contained 3.5 grams of pure gold. "Sultan Suleiman...May his Victory be Glorious Struck in Misr (Cairo) year 926 (= 1520)". This one weighs 3.4 g., 20 mm.

Ottoman.Silver Dirhem

The Dirhem was the basic silver coin used all around the Moslem world. It generally weighed about 3 grams. This one was issued by Murad III (1574-1595) and is generous at 3.8 grams. 21 mm. Dated 1574/5. The 6-pointed star was a frequent geometric design on Moslem coins.

Ottoman.silver.Akce

The dirhem was gradually replaced by other denominations, including the 'Akce'. This one was issued by Emir Suleyman (1402-1411). it is dated Moslem year 806. Weight about 1 gram, 17 mm.

Ottoman.copper.Mangir

Small daily transactions were facilitated by a small copper coin - the 'Mangir'. This one issued by Murad II at the Tyre mint. 1.4 grams. 11 mm.

Ottoman.Newer denominations

A general decline in value gave rise to new denominations. We find 'Para' and Bishlik. A Para was originally worth 3 Akce. A silver coin of 10 Para weighed 5.3 grams. Later, a coin called Bishlik (Beslik - piece of 5 Akces in Turkish) was issued as a large copper coin. 20 different denominations circulated in the 1800s in addition to numerous gold issues.

Ottoman.Mejidieh

Sultan Abdul Mejid introduced a standardized coinage in the mid-1800s. Its largest silver coin was this crown-sized coin of 20 Qurush. It became known as a 'Mejidieh' for decades to come. This example came from Egypt under a later sultan, Murad V, dated his regnal year 1293 + the 11th year of his reign: = 1304 which corresponds to 1888.

Ottoman.Foreign coins

At the end of WWI, a bewildering variety of coins circulated in the Holy Land - Turkish, Egyptian, French, Russian, German and Austrian. Some are shown here.

Ottoman.standard.base denom.P1060828

By the 20th century, Ottoman coinage had been standardized to 4 base metal, 5 silver, and 5 gold denominations. 40 Para = 1 Qurush ('Piastre'). These copper-nickel coins are 5,10,20 and 40 Para. Issued by Mohammed Reshat V (1908-18).

Ottoman.Titles

The fancy center design is the 'Tughra', the calligraphic name of the sultan. To the right is his title: Reshat or el-Ghazi. around is the motto: Freedom, Equality, Justice. Reverse: Ottoman State, struck in Constantinople, ... (# of) Para. 1327 (A.H. which equals 1909 C.E.).

Ottoman.standard.silver

The 5 silver denominations are 1,2,5,10, 20 Qurush/Piastres. The silver is .830 fine. 100 silver Qurush equaled a gold Lira. The gold denominations were 25,50, 100, 250, 500 piastres. Pictured is the 25 gold piastres. All from Mohammad Reshat V (1908-1918).

Ottoman.REPLACE PHOTOstandard.silver_edited

The 'qurush' term survived long after Turkish coins disappeared. Israelis continued to price their merchandise in 'Grushim' even 50 years later.

Ottoman.Egypt.denom

Britain declared Egyptian coinage legal tender in 1921 and outlawed all Turkish coinage as of 1924. These are the base metal denominations: 1/2 - 10 milliemes. 10 milliemes was equal to 1 guerche/piastre and 100 piastres = 1 Egyptian pound. Hussein Kamel was declared Sultan by the British (1914-17) and his Egyptian coins became preferred in Palestine. These millieme denominations are all dated 1917.

Ottoman.Egypt high denom.P1060830

The Egyptian silver coinage provided 2,5,10, and 20 Piastres. A gold 1 pound (100 piastres) coin was also issued. These were struck in England.

Mandate.Egypt.2 dates.P1060833

Kamel was succeeded by brother Fuad I (1917-22) who issued coins dated 1920. Here we see his coin next to the previous issue on the right.

Mandate.Denominations

British Mandate authorities decided to issue coins specifically designed for Palestine. Inscriptions are in 3 languages: English, Arabic, and Hebrew. We read the country name, the date in 'English' & Arabic numerals, and the denomination. One Palestine pound equaled 1 British pound. It was divided into 1000 'mils' in a decimal system. Denominations of 1,2,5,10,20,50,100 mils. A gold pound coin was never issued. A complete set consists of 59 coins.

Mandate.Jewish Name

'Palestine' was the name Hadrian had given to the land 1800 years earlier, removing any Jewish reference to the country. On the coins, the English name is 'Palestine'. The Arabic name reads 'Filistin'. The Hebrew reads 'Palestina' and is followed in parentheses by א"י which stands for 'Eretz Yisrael' - 'Land of Israel'. Arabs protested this inclusion which seemed to favor Jews - even though the Arab name appeared first on the coin.

Mandate.design

A Palestine Currency Board consisting of British, Jewish, and Arab members was assembled to give input on design. Providing for the name and denomination in 3 languages didn't leave much room for decoration. They decided on olive leaves and branches as emblematic of the country.

Mandate.One Mil

1 mil = 1 thousandth of a Palestine Pound. These were struck in 1927, '35, '37, '39, '40, '41, '42, '43, '44, '46. 1947 issues were never circulated due to the U.N. partition decision in November. A rare few survive. Bronze. 21 mm.

Mandate.2 Mils

The larger 2 Mil coins are bronze 28 mm. Identical to the 1 Mil except for the size and denomination. Issued dates are 1927, '41, '42, '45, '46. Similar to the 1 mil, a few unissued coins dated 1947 have reached collectors.

Mandate.5 Mils

5 Mil coins are copper-nickel and 20 mm. in diameter. Issue dates are 1927, '34, '35, '39, '41, ('42, '44,) '46. Due to the war-time demand for nickel, the 1942 & 1944 issues were struck in Bronze. Except for dates, the two issues are identical. Here we see the CN obverse and the bronze reverse.

Mandate.10 Mils

10 mil coins are copper-nickel and 27 mm. Dates issued are 1927, '33, '34, '35, '37, '39, '40, '41, ('42 & '43,) '46. The war-year issues are bronze. they are otherwise identical. These were nicknamed 'ghirsh/grush') or piastre because they corresponded to a similar Ottoman denomination, 100 of which equaled a Pound.

Mandate.20 Mils

20 Mil coins are copper-nickel and 30.5 mm. Dates issued are 1927, '33, '34, '35, 40, '41, ('42 & '44,). These have the lowest mintages in the 59 coin set. Again, the war year issues are bronze. There are no 1947 specimens of the higher denominations.

Mandate.50 Mils

The 50 mils coin is 23.5 mm. and struck in .720 silver with copper alloy. Dates of issue are 1927, '31, '33, '34, '35, '39, '40, '42.

Mandate_edited

Mandate.Holed Coins

The holes served to distinguish between similarly-sized coins (1/5, 2/10, 20/100 mils). These were also similar in style to British colonial coinage in African countries - Rhodesia, Nigeria, & Nyasaland (and Egypt).

Mandate.Counterfeit

The hundred mils coin was counterfeited. The one on the right is well struck, perfectly round, with a reeded edge. At 30 mm. , it is actually slightly larger than the original in the left. Most significantly, it was made of base metal instead of silver.

Mandate_edited