Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
20 Para Countermarked in Arabic on Turkey KM-668.2
| Issuer | Greece |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 1.5 mm |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Host coin is an Ottoman Turkish 20 Para (KM-668.2), struck under Sultan Abdülmecid I, AH1255 regnal year 2x, featuring the imperial tughra of the sultan in the central field with Arabic legends below. A Greek countermark in Arabic script, denoting the revalued denomination of 20 Para, has been applied prominently in the upper central field, partially overlapping the tughra. The countermark appears as a rectangular or oval punch with clearly incuse Arabic characters. The host coin exhibits typical Ottoman copper fabric with patinated surfaces and moderate wear consistent with circulation use. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
During the Greek administration of formerly Ottoman territories following the Balkan Wars and World War I, locally circulating Turkish copper coinage was countermarked to legitimize its continued use under Greek authority. The KM-668.2 host — an Abdul Hamid II-era 20 Para — was among the most common large coppers still in circulation across Thrace and the Aegean littoral, making it the practical target for such overstrikes.
The Arabic-script countermark, rather than Greek, reflects the multilingual realities of these transitional zones and the speed at which monetary administration had to operate.