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Zanzibar, Pysa, 1299AH (1881 AD), KM#1

Started by Overlord, September 19, 2009, 06:31:18 AM

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Overlord

Obverse: Sultan Saeed bin Burghash bin Sultan (in three lines); top and bottom, Allah Hafiza (God Guard)



Reverse: Scales; year 1299(AH) (1881 AD)

Bimat

This is one of the piece which I do have and one of my most favorite. :)
Thanks for those details of inscriptions,Overlord!

Aditya
It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. -J. K. Rowling.

Afrasi

This coin is one of the nicest coins of Arabic world to me. I like the style of the scripture very much.

This type and the other paisa type of Zanzibar, too, were also regular coinage in Oman.

Harald

Quote from: Overlord on September 19, 2009, 06:31:18 AM
Obverse: Sultan Saeed bin Burghash bin Sultan (in three lines); top and bottom, Allah Hafiza (God Guard)

the (meaningful) reading of the inscription actually is: "'ullah ħafiẓă sulṭān barġaš bin sa°īd bin sulṭān",
means "the sultan under the protection of God, Barghash, son of Sa'id, son of the sultan".


Quote from: Afrasi on September 19, 2009, 10:10:39 AM
This type and the other paisa type of Zanzibar, too, were also regular coinage in Oman.

very probably not, at least not legally.
due to a hereditary quarrel, the Al Busa'id family did split into two lines in 1861 (under Barghash's elder brothers Majid and Thuwaini)
and followed separate ways. the Zanzibari currency reform of AH1299, to which also the two the paisa coins belong, was not
carried out in Masqat.


Quote from: BC Numismatics on September 19, 2009, 08:41:59 AM
Try looking for the Zanzibari AH1304 (1887) 1 Pysa.That coin is very hard to find,but I did get one in the end.
Agree totally, the AH1304 issue is an order of magnitude scarcer than the AH1299. pity, that SCWC doesn't get this.

cheers
--
Harald
http://www.liganda.ch (monetary history & numismatic linguistics)

Afrasi

I agree to the translation of Overlord. "Hafazat Allah" is an interjection ("May God protect him!") and not part of the name. But all is to read from the bottom upwards!
These coins circulated commonly in Zanzibar and Oman. Even the the paisas of the German East Africa Company circulated in Oman and were often found there, the latter ones perhaps not legally.  ;)
The rarity of the second type is not surprising. AH 1304 had a mintage of 627,000 piece and AH 1299 had a mintage 4,640,000 pieces.

Afrasi

#5
Quote from: BC Numismatics on September 20, 2009, 08:50:22 PMThe Zanzibari 1 Pysa coins were not legal tender in Muscat & Oman (as Oman was called up until 1970). Aidan.

I would be very pleased if you can give me the sources of your statement.  :D I have got my knowledge from Robert E. Darley-Doran, the author of "History of Currency in the Sultanate of Oman".

Afrasi

Harald

the quote from Darley-Doran referring to various paisa shaped coins actually goes: "[...] examples of all these coins very likely made their appearance in Oman shortly after they were struck, and gained ready acceptance there because they were about the same size and wight as the Indian quarter anna."

this is probably a good wording for "in use but not legal tender". furthermore, the "very likely" tells us that even the expert isn't sure about it.  ;D

cheers
--
Harald
http://www.liganda.ch (monetary history & numismatic linguistics)

Afrasi

#7
Your quotation of Darley-Doran (p.72) refers to all East African paysa/baisa sized coins. On page 69 he writes: "... the baisa of this (i.e. the Zanzibar) issue commonly circulated in both Zanzibar and Oman." This sentence was the one I remembered at my first posting to this thread.

Perhaps we can both agree in saying it's a problem in that time and area to distinguish between regular and common coinage ...  ;)

Figleaf

Probably even the expression "legal tender" is irrelevant here. It's a question of "accepted" or "not accepted". I think the argument that anything that vaguely looked like a quarter anna, a pice or an MT-Thaler was "accepted" sounds reasonable.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Harald

it appears that Oman didn't have any legal tender (literally speaking) before the introduction of the riyal in 1970.
at that time a lot modernisation was started by the new sultan.

BTW, "accepted", but not "legally sanctioned" coins are called "trade coins", aren't they. their values fluctuate regionally
and in time, and no one is really obliged to accept them. a bit like barter goods.


cheers
--
Harald
http://www.liganda.ch (monetary history & numismatic linguistics)

Figleaf

I think all "trade coins" are "accepted", but not "legally sanctioned", but not all "accepted", but not "legally sanctioned" coins are called "trade coins". Most are just coins.

Roman law had nothing to say about which coins you could use. From the middle ages to Napoleonic times, all coins were normally allowed unless they were forbidden, so no coins were "legally sanctioned". In addition, mints were very frequently imitating coins of other mints and such imitations were not always lightweight, e.g. Italian ducats and gold florins were struck and accepted in payment for centuries all over Europe, whichever mint struck them. They were usually tariffed in terms of gold, but they sometimes also had a fixed tariff in silver.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Quant.Geek

#11
Picked up one of these coins myself as I dip my toe into Africa.  Just loved the calligraphy and the scales as well as the border design. 

Obv: Scales with date in between; ١٢٩٩ (1299 AH)
Rev: Arabic Legend in 5 lines; اللة سلطان سعيد بن برغش بن سلطان حڢظی (Sultan Sa'id ibn Barghash ibn Sultan, May Allah save him)

A gallery of my coins can been seen at FORVM Ancient Coins

Figleaf

Beware of your toes. ;)

I am sure you have noticed that this coin is inspired by EIC issues. They circulated in Oman and territories around it. Also, there are similar coins for German East Africa and British East Africa.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.