Muscat & Oman 1/4 Anna question

I've just got a very dark-looking piece; seems to be the copper one but I can't see where it would be counterstamped as the Numista catalogue suggests ? I also wanted to know if it falls into my category of collecting the British Empire and Commonwealth ? Just because in the guidebook it has no mention of it; but then it doesn't mention New Hebrides either. I have also read something about the British helping the Sultan with the navy and also military ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Mark.

It's complicated.

I can recall Muscat and Oman, I had older family members who served there during the British Protectorates.  They always referred to it as simply Muscat which is quite strange. Muscat is a long established port city, while the country is Oman. It's like referring to England as "London and England" - it never made any sense but I was too busy being enthralled by war stories to interrupt.

I guess it would fall within your collecting area. There were a number of sultanates and sheikdoms centred around Muscat city which existed briefly as British Protectorates. I guess it should follow the rules you set for the better known Protectorates such as Palestine.

I think it goes something like this:

1970's - present = Oman (it may be the UAE now though, not sure - either way it's not Britsh)
pre war - 1970's = Muscat & Oman
Pre 1940(?) varied mini states, mostlly under the British flag

Ah, good old days when we ruled the world and settled arguments with a gunboat!

How will you deal with the Sudan? That's even more complicated having been ruled by Gordon Pasha and by the Anglo Egyptians acting as a puppet regime for the crown but still (I think) as an Egyptian Territory rather than as a direct part of the Empire.

I know Rick pointed out that we are complicating matters and his judgement is very sound. But isn't it fun?

I know it's frowned on by the New Brit, Cool Brittania types, but I love everything connected with the Empire, it's people and it's great figures. We are a great and noble people and while I love my adopted country and 53% of the people in it, I do not allow any of these here colonials to speak ill of my homeland.

It is true that I am an advocate of avoiding complication wherever possible but like most other numismatists, one of the great attractions of collecting coins is the insight you gain into the history of a particular country or region. When I'm looking at geographical or political histories, I generally start with the blurb at the beginning of the relevant country section in Krause and then move on to a Google search which is usually followed by a move to Wikipedia.

From what I have read about Oman, it is rather complicated, whether we like it or not! It would appear that is was never actually British so it wouldn't be a part of the former Empire but rather Great Britain "looked after" the Sultanate so I guess it would fall into the category of Protectorate. Clearly a significant part of the region geographically, lying as it does at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, it was obviously no accident that Great Britain showed a keen interest in the country.

Anyone interested should have a look here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Oman so I won't rattle off too much about Oman, but one interesting fact I found was that GB signed one of several "Friendship" treaties with the Sultanate in 1798 and during the first half of the 19th century Muscat and Oman became the most powerful and influential state in Arabia. However, when Britain declared slavery illegal in the mid 19th century, the Sultanate's fortunes reversed, the population of Muscat dropped from 55,000 to 8,000 and Oman became an isolated and poor area of the world.

As far as I can gather, they are still issuing coinage as the Sultanate of Oman and I've seen issues as recent as 2008 in my 2010 5th Edition Krause (I also have a couple in my collection).

Yeah I think I'll keep it as an unofficial protectorate hehe !  The writing is in Arabic or whatever it is but on the bottom of the coin it has 1/4 ANNA which to me shows British influence, I always search the net about countries like that but I thought I would see what my fellow collectors thought of it too ha !
As for Sudan Phil, I will be collecting from there and be cataloguing it with British Egypt,
although I don't have any yet but then I only have 2 British occupied Egyptian coins and one has been drilled I'm concentrating on "proper" colonies just now like Rhodesia, southern Rhodesia and Rhodesia and Nyasaland (just landed a R&N half penny for £2.85) is my current goal alongside the Indian coinage which I probably always will collect ha !

There's loads of different 1/4 Annas in my 2009 6th Edition 19th century Krause, both regular and local coinage - if you want to put up a couple of pics we could try to figure out which one it is.

Cool, thanks. I've just took some pics of it before I left the house but were going to the mother in laws for dinner. I will upload some later on if that's ok ?

I'm collecting Rhodesian coins too. I'm doing OK with Rhodesia but Rhodesia & Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia coins are hard to find and expensive. I'm trying to persuade my lady wife that I need the Cecil Rhodes Crown and the Stone Mountain half dollar for Christmas instead of socks.

Цитата: pnightingaleI'm collecting Rhodesian coins too. I'm doing OK with Rhodesia but Rhodesia & Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia coins are hard to find and expensive. I'm trying to persuade my lady wife that I need the Cecil Rhodes Crown and the Stone Mountain half dollar for Christmas instead of socks.

LIKE ! Phil, list which you need and I will keep an eye out. I've managed to get quite a few at a bargain


Here's the pics - not the greatest but let's see if they are good enough ?

You're right about the pics, Mark, they're not the best but I think they show enough. The date is centre left on the obverse just above the denomination and looks to me like AH1315 or 1897/1898 which, along with the inscription and the upside-down five-pointed star at the top, leads me to believe it is this one:

KM# 12.4 1/4 ANNA
5.0000 g., Copper Ruler: Faisal bin Turkee Obv: Value and
inscription within circle, English legend, star above
Obv. Legend: IMAM OF MUSCAT AND OMAN... Rev: Arabic
inscription within wreath
Date  Mintage VG   F      VF      XF  Unc
AH1315  —    3.00 5.00 10.00 18.00  —

thanks a lot Rick ! i am definitely gunna keep it; I've catalogued it as an unofficial protectorate

Mark, I'll send you a list of the SR and R&N coins I already have - it would be easier

nice one, then i can keep an eye out for you on the uk website

I can't see that one listed in the catalogue do you mind if I nick your info ?

Цитата: Mark240590I can't see that one listed in the catalogue do you mind if I nick your info ?

I think you'll find it's this one here:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces20734.html

Why do I look with my eyes shut ? LOL