Owner Comments:
Moulay Al-Hassan; AH 1290 - 1311, 1873 - 1894 AD
We come now to the milled coinage of Morocco. The very first milled coinage of Morocco was a series of silver coins in AH1299 (1882 AD). However, there were some minor copper coins minted in Fes in 1306. Lower denominations are listed first in Krause, and I have been following the arrangement of Krause.
In 1306 (1888 AD), a fascinating series of copper coins was created. These are incredibly rare, and are considered to be patterns for a later issue in 1310. There are no mintage records for these coins, so I really don’t know how many were made – all I know is their relative scarcity in auction appearances. There are 5 denominations in the series (more on that in a future entry). Heritage Auction archives are an incredibly valuable research tool, and there are 9 listed auction appearances total (2 or 3 for each of the denominations, with no record of the highest denomination appearing). NGC’s certified census shows 3 or 4 certified for each denomination (the largest denomination is represented by a single details graded coin). Spink and Stacks show no sales of these coins. Stephen Album, the expert in Islamic coins, lists these are “RR – Seldom available. Collectors may have to wait years to locate one.”
So, my point is, they are rare! I estimate that there are less than 10 examples of each denomination, and they only come up for sale every few years. Lucky me, then, I’ve been able to purchase 5 of them (one of which is a duplicate).
This present coin is the smallest of the series. At 63RB, it is also among the highest graded. The bright red surfaces shine with a semi-reflective luster. The devices are all well struck. This coin might be tiny, but it is impressive!