Hejaz 1/4 Qirsh

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Hejaz 1/4 Qirsh is that it featured an Arabic inscription explicitly naming the kingdom, a bold move in a region freshly severed from Ottoman control.

Struck in bronze between 1916 and 1925, these coins circulated in the western Arabian Peninsula during the brief reign of King Hussein bin Ali. The design was simple: a central motif with the denomination on one side and the Hijri date on the other, reflecting local minting practices of the era. We know the Istanbul mint supplied some equipment, but exact production details remain murky; records from that period are scarce.

As for rarity, examples from later years, like 1925, turn up more often in collections, though earlier strikes can be elusive. I've handled a few over the decades, and they still bear the patina of desert sands. No one knows for sure how many were produced—guesstimates float around, but they're just that.

Early numismatists sometimes mistook these for Ottoman issues, which gets old.