Coin of the Week: 2003 Syria 10 pounds

Obverse (Image: Syrian National Arms)

Reverse (Image: Ancient Ruins of Palmyra)

With all of the turmoil currently in Syria, I decided to look into the coins I have from there. The official currency of the Syrian Arab Republic is the Syrian pound. The pound is divided into 100 qirsh, although this denomination is no longer in use. The pound was introduced in 1919, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Before 1919, as part of the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish lira was in circulation.

There are two reasons why I chose the 10 pound coin. One is because of the technology incorporated in the design. The other is because of an interesting fact related to the coin.

The obverse of the 10 pound coin depicts Syria's National Arms as well as the year of issue in both the Islamic (1424) as well as Gregorian (2003) calendars. The national arms features the Hawk of Quraysh (or Quraish) holding a shield with the Syrian flag. Quraysh was the tribe to which Mohammad belonged and became the dominant tribe in Mecca. The reverse depicts the ancient ruins at Palmyra with a latent image included in the design. The initials of the Central Bank of Syria (CBS) appear when the coin is turned one way, the denomination appears when the coin is turned the opposite direction. As to Palmyra, it was an important city in antiquity because it was strategically located on two routes linking the Far East with the Mediterranean Sea. More information on Palmyra can be found on this link from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Now to the interesting fact related to the Syrian 10 pound coin: since the shape, weight and size of the coin resembles that of the 20 Norwegian krone, vending machines and other coin-operated machines in Norway cannot tell the two coins apart. While not readily available in Norway, the fact that the Syrian coins had been used on occasion led the Norwegian postal service to close many of its coins-to-cash machines in 2006. It wanted to develop a system that was able to differentiate between the two coins.

Coin of the Week: 1997 Jordan 1/2 Dinar

Obverse (Image: Leaf Design)

Reverse (Image: King Hussein bin Talal)

Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, has its roots in the ancient kingdoms of Nabatean, Edom, Ammon and Moab. The Nabatean Kingdom, with its capital Petra (considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World), highlights the important role the Kingdom of Jordan has played in world history. Modern Jordan was founded in 1921 as Transjordan, part of the British Mandate of Palestine created after World War I and the end of the Ottoman Empire. The country became an independent state in 1946.

Jordan's currency is the dinar, with 1 dinar equalling 100 qirsh (also called piastres). The word dinar may come from the Latin word denarius, which stood for a small silver coin used in the Roman currency system. All of Jordan's coins depict the King of Jordan on the obverse. In 1997, this was King Hussein. Today, his son King Abdullah rules the country. The reverse of this heptagonal 1/2 dinar states the denomination encircled by a leaf/arabic design. More information on coins from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan can be found here.

Coin of the Week: 1983 Cook Islands 50 Cents

Obverse (Image: Queen Elizabeth II)

 Reverse (Image: Bonito)

The Cook Islands are composed of 15 islands in the South Pacific. The country is a self-governing democracy in free association with New Zealand. Although discovered by the Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendana in 1595, the islands were more or less ignored until rediscovered by their namesake, Captain James Cook in 1773. The indigenous population, the Maoris, are believed to have lived on the islands for more than 1,000 years.

The currency of the Cook Islands is the dollar, with 100 cents equaling 1 dollar. As a member of the British Commonwealth, Cook Island coins portray Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. The reverse of the 50-cent coin depicts the bonito, a type of tuna important in the diets of the islanders. For more information on the bonito, including fishing and cooking tips, click here.