{"id":1056,"date":"2026-01-29T14:59:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T03:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gbc.31pendleton.com\/?p=1056"},"modified":"2026-01-29T14:59:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T03:59:55","slug":"collection-focus-war-on-the-nile-1917-egypt-10-milliemes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gbc.31pendleton.com\/?p=1056","title":{"rendered":"Collection Focus: War on the Nile (1917 Egypt 10 Milliemes)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
My collection returns to the output of the Heaton Mint, but this time we are looking at a coin born during the chaos of the First World War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This 10 Milliemes<\/strong> piece from Egypt is a fascinating mix of cultures: British industrial manufacture, Arabic calligraphy, and a design necessitated by a global conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Historical Context: The Sultanate<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In 1917, Egypt was a British Protectorate. The British had severed Egypt’s ties with the Ottoman Empire in 1914 and installed a pro-British monarch, Sultan Hussein Kamel<\/strong>, whose name appears in beautiful Arabic calligraphy on the reverse of this coin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because of the war, silver was being hoarded. To keep commerce moving, the state issued these copper-nickel “holed” coins. The hole allowed people to easily distinguish them from silver coins in a pocket or purse, and also allowed them to be strung together for safe-keeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Coin: 1917 (AH 1335) 10 Milliemes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The Heaton “Ghost”:<\/strong> Like the Sarawak penny I posted earlier, this coin is an “unmarked” Heaton issue. While some 1917 issues bear a distinct “H” mintmark below the date, others produced in Birmingham left the mint without it. In the frantic production schedules of 1917\u2014with zeppelins flying over London and U-boats in the Atlantic\u2014mintmarks were sometimes a secondary concern to getting the money out the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Condition & Grading<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The holed design often protects the center of the coin, but the rims take the brunt of the wear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Assessment:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Obverse (English):<\/strong>\u00a0The “10” and the date “1917” are bold. The rim shows some minor knocks, which is standard for a heavy coin that saw circulation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Reverse (Arabic):<\/strong>\u00a0The calligraphy is the highlight here. It reads\u00a0As-Sultan Hussein Kamel<\/em>. The script is sharp and legible, not worn down to a blur.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Surface:<\/strong>\u00a0There is some surface residue (verdigris) and darkening around the lettering, particularly on the “Milliemes” text. This “grime of history” is common on copper-nickel that has spent time in the humid climate of the Nile Delta.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Grade: Very Fine (VF)<\/strong> The structural integrity of the coin is excellent, and the calligraphy\u2014the most important artistic element\u2014remains crisp.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Verdict<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This coin represents a very specific moment in time: the brief Sultanate of Egypt (1914\u20131922). It is a coin that likely bought bread or tea in Cairo while British troops were stationed nearby during the Great War. For a collector of Heaton Mint history, it is a reminder that Birmingham was minting the currency for a vast portion of the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gbc.31pendleton.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Egypt-Sultan-Hussein-1-Millieme-combined-1024x576.jpg\")
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