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Who is best at grading coins?
When it comes to coin grading and appraisal, two names stand out in the industry: PCGS and NGC. While both companies are reputable and widely used by coin and numismatic collectors in general, there are differences between them that can affect the grading process, pricing, and overall experience. In this article, we will discuss…
April 9, 2026Encyclopedia and Catalog of Egyptian Money
The Encyclopedia and Catalog of Egyptian Currencies is a comprehensive series of books documenting Egyptian coins and banknotes. It was published by Engineer Magdi Hanafi to compile information on modern Egyptian currency, both metal and paper, and is considered the largest specialized scientific encyclopedia on the subject of Egyptian currency. Engineer Magdi has managed to write, in precise chronological order, everything related to the currencies…
April 9, 2026The hobby of collecting coins and artifacts
Is coin collecting a hobby considered a crime under the antiquities law? This article does not reflect the opinion of the Arab collector, but only the personal opinion of the writer. About 20 years ago, when I decided to emigrate, some esteemed friends warned me not to try to leave Egypt with any currency older than 100 years, otherwise I would face legal consequences…
April 19, 2025Mamluk coinage between the deposition of the sultan and the rule of the caliph
The Abbasid caliphs in Cairo held virtually no real power. They were called Commander of the Faithful, their names were inscribed on coins in prayers from the pulpits, and everything else rested with the sultan, including the power to depose and appoint the caliphs themselves. There was only one unique case worthy of careful consideration, even though it lasted only seven months and was a product of chance and the work of…
April 18, 2025Encyclopedia of Egyptian Currencies and New Dimensions in Currency Valuation
In a significant step that enhances the credibility of coin grading, the Encyclopedia of Egyptian Coins by Engineer Magdy Hanafy was recently recognized by the global grading companies PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) and PMG (Paper Money Guaranty®). This recognition underscores the encyclopedia's important role in the world of coins and strengthens the confidence of enthusiasts and investors in the valuations it provides. The Encyclopedia of Egyptian Coins…
August 29, 2024Comprehensive Developmental Science Diploma
This is a specialized diploma course, supervised and taught by Dr. Al-Mu'taz Billah Al-Shahawi, entitled "Comprehensive Numismatics Diploma," offered in both Arabic and English, and organized by the Arab Collector. Target audience: Students and researchers in archaeology and numismatics, restoration specialists, historians, museum curators, and enthusiasts. Course objectives: To learn about the history of ancient coins and the metals used in their manufacture; to learn about…
August 11, 2024Cleopatra, Queen of Kings
The coin depicts a profile of Queen Cleopatra VII. In the autumn of 34 BC, Alexandria was about to witness a grand celebration and an even greater event. Mark Antony, the Roman governor of the East, had come to Alexandria to meet his wife, Queen Cleopatra VII, and celebrate with her and their children his victories in the Armenian campaign…
June 14, 2024Assassin coins
Over a year ago, I wrote an article about the coins of the Assassins, but I didn't publish it because there was one particular dinar for which I searched extensively for a clear image but couldn't find one. I could have made do with the poor-quality image I had, in addition to images of the other common dinars, but fortunately, I preferred to postpone the article until a clear image appeared. Now I remember…
March 15, 2024The Fatimids went during Ramadan
Very few Islamic coins bear a minting date that includes the Arabic month as well as the year. If we look at the Fatimid coinage of the Fatimid state, we find a very limited number of issues inscribed with the month alongside the year. It is highly likely that these issues are linked to historical events or religious occasions, and we must attempt to deduce these events and occasions…
March 11, 2024Cookies with dinars
Were there really cakes made with dinars? The Fatimids in Cairo established a dedicated cake-making workshop called Dar al-Fitra, located next to the Great Palace opposite Bab al-Daylam – roughly the current site of the Husseiniya Square – and its purpose was to produce large quantities of cakes and sweets that were distributed to the common people and the elite a day before Eid al-Fitr…
March 9, 2024Antinopolis commemorative coins
In 130 AD, the Roman Emperor Hadrian was visiting Egypt as part of a large-scale tour of the eastern parts of his empire. Naturally, Hadrian took his "favorite" page, Antoninus, with him. Fate would have it that the page drowned in the Nile River, causing the emperor great sorrow. It was then that Hadrian decided to build a city…
March 8, 2024Coins of Baybars II
Baybars al-Jashankir assumed power during the second reign of al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun after the latter left Cairo and retired to Karak. However, al-Jashankir's rule was short-lived, as he failed to gain the loyalty of the elite or even the support of the common people. The country's situation deteriorated, and dangers and threats multiplied. After approximately a year, al-Nasir Muhammad returned…
March 4, 2024Damanhur Silver Treasure
Near the town of Damanhur, the capital of the Beheira Governorate, a small number of residents discovered a substantial hoard of silver coins in 1905. More than 8,000 silver coins of the "Tetradach" type were unearthed, most of them minted during the lifetime of Alexander the Great in the various cities he conquered throughout his historic campaign in the East. Unfortunately, the available information about…
March 3, 2024Public toilet tax
During the year 69 AD, the Roman general Vespasian was besieging Jerusalem to suppress a rebellion when he decided to entrust the siege to his son Titus so that he could go to Alexandria and from there to Rome to claim the contested imperial throne. In Alexandria, he received news of the defeat of his rival Vitellius and that the Senate had recognized him as emperor, and…
March 1, 2024The first Abbasid currency issue in Egypt
The mint of Egypt (Fustat) in the year 133 AH marked the final chapter in the history of the Umayyad Caliphate with the killing of its last caliph, Marwan ibn Muhammad, at the hands of the Abbasids in the village of Zawiyat al-Maslub, in the Wasita district of Beni Suef Governorate. A few months later, a new bronze coin bearing the name of… was minted in Fustat.
March 1, 2024Arab amateurs win banknote prizes
In January 2024, the American company BMG announced the results of its global banknote collection competition, which revealed that a number of Arab collectors and Arab collections in general achieved honorable results and top rankings worldwide, including the award for best banknote collection among all currency collections…
February 1, 2024About the Egyptian Post
A brief overview of the Egyptian postal service, published by the "Egyptian Youth Education Authority" and printed in Florence, Italy in English in 1912, was republished in the book "Egyptian Postage Stamps" by Fred Melville in 1918. Simple post offices were opened in both Cairo and Alexandria, their purpose being to deliver letters to the European community, hence their later name, Posta Europea. There are still...
November 25, 2023The hobby of kings and presidents
What are the hobbies of kings and presidents? And why are they called that? Most of us know that King Farouk was one of the world's greatest stamp collectors, but perhaps not all of us know that US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was also a huge fan. This may have been one of the reasons for the friendship that developed between the two men, unlike the relationship that existed between…
November 24, 2023Sale of royal coins at the Egyptian Mint
On July 18, 2023, the Sales Department of the Egyptian Treasury and Mint announced the opening of a sale for some of Egypt's royal coins. It offered sets of copper and nickel coins issued during the reigns of Sultan Hussein, King Fuad I, and King Farouk I for public purchase. The coins were displayed…
October 2, 2023The heaviest drachma minted in Alexandria has ever appeared in the world.
What is the heaviest drachma in the world, minted in Alexandria? Introduction: Egypt fell under Roman rule in 30 BC after the Battle of Actium, in which Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII clashed on one side, and Octavian and the Roman legions on the other. The end of the battle marked the beginning of the Roman province of Egypt…
August 17, 2023