Owner Comments:
Dates
This coin was minted in AH317, or 1899 AD. Moroccan coinage is primarily dated using the Hejira (or Hijra) calendar. I will give the corresponding Gregorian dates throughout the descriptions in this set. The Hejira calendar is a lunar calendar used by Muslim countries for determining the dates of important religious festivals. Because it is a lunar calendar, it does not directly correspond to the solar calendar familiar to Western culture. A lunar calendar consists of 354 or 355 days. Most countries do still use the Gregorian calendar for official functions (and so you will note that many of the later coinages in this set are dual dated, with both the Hejira and Gregorian dates).
The Gregorian calendar commonly in use in Western countries is based on the date of Jesus’ birth (hence the abbreviation AD – Anno Domini in Latin, or, In the Year of Our Lord.) The Hejira calendar, likewise, is based on an important event in Islamic history – the first year is regarded as the year in which the prophet Mohammed and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina and established the first Islamic community. This event is known as the “Hijra,” and thus dates in this calendar are denoted AH – Anno Hegirae in Latin, or, In the Year of the Hijra. The Hijra occurred in 622 AD.
The current coin is an extremely lustrous, well struck example. The mint at Paris was quite technologically advanced, and capable of making some of the finest coinage in the world. This example is no exception. There is a minor water spot on the obverse which impairs the eye appeal slightly, but overall the coin is quite appealing. It is also very high grade compared to most of its peers!