The Poe Collection of Moroccan Coinage

Owner Comments:

The reign of Hassan was relatively peaceful, although he suffered the consequences of the significant reparations imposed by his predecessor. Much of the coin in the country had been exported to pay these debts, and so a new coinage was required. This coinage was minted in Paris beginning in AH1299. Hassan attempted to reform the country of Morocco, to modernize it and to protect it from the growing colonial pressures. This culminated in the Treaty of Madrid in 1880, signed by France, Germany, Britain, Morocco, and the US. This treaty granted the right of protection to the international powers who had conquered portions of Morocco (such as the Spanish during the Spanish Moroccan War). This agreement was one of the early steps which helped to make Morocco a French protectorate, and set the stage for events to come.

As part of this coinage of AH1299 (1882AD), this half dirham was struck. My coin is a lustrous, very high grade example. Powder blue toning graces the obverse, while the reverse is a steely grey. These are very small coins, but clearly well made. 13.5 million of these were struck, so they are quite widely available.