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Comments

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  Alaa eddine SAGID January 16, 2014 at 3:26pm

  Definetely ottoman influenced BUT actually this was probably the central pendant of a "KIRDAN" a very popular necklace by late 19th/ Early 20th in Egypt!

  Coins read "mint in MISR 1277", Misr is the local name of CAIRO and 1277 equals to 1860 in the gregorian calendar

  Could you look for the presence of traces of an ancient bail on top of the brooch, maybe a picture of the back would help as well

  Otherwise this could have also been initially produced as a brooch to fit with local tradition of the "kirdan" necklace
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  Betty January 16, 2014 at 4:43pm

  Thanks so much, Alaa. How very interesting! I did look up the Islamic year, but I did not look more closely at the script (I actually learned little bit Arabic, but I was never able to decipher a word I had not learned before :-)

  Here's a pic of the back:

  The coins are so small and extremely thin. I thought they were simply imprinted pieces of silversheet imitating a coin. (On the reverse they show a tugra)

  I think the piece has always been a brooch. It must have been broken once because someone repaired it using a piece of silver sheet.

  PS: Isn't "masr" also the Arabic name for Egypt in general?
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  Alaa eddine SAGID January 16, 2014 at 4:52pm

  Great!

  I can see the old repair but no trace of a former bale!!

  then it was meant to be a brooch itnially

  Actually "MASR" or "MISR" means both, But then coins do mention only the city where they were mint!

  Today egyptians do call Cairo in colloquial arabic "MASR" while in classical arabic egypt is spelled "MISR"

  The confusion may date back to ottoman era, following a very medieval rule in which people would indentify a whole country by the name of its capital city where the power is based
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  Betty January 16, 2014 at 5:06pm

  That's really more than I bargained for, Alaa. Thank you for all the extra-information.

  So, were the small, thin coins (1.4 cm in diameter) actually used as currency? It must have been difficult not to lose them :-)
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  Alaa eddine SAGID January 16, 2014 at 5:08pm

  islamic world was awash with counterfeit coins, to be used among other thing in jewelry!

  But i cant comment on yours other than say that it existed very tiny coins used on a daily basis in trade
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  Betty January 16, 2014 at 8:31pm

  Thank you Alaa. That's a completely new field for me - thanks for sharing your insights!