The Elusive Hejaz 1/2 Qirsh AH 1334 Regnal Year 8

The Hejaz 1/2 Qirsh Regnal AH 1334, Regnal Year 8 (KM-26) is an exceptionally rare coin that is missing in most collections. A contributing factor to this is the fact that these coins were short-lived, and most known specimens were overstruck to produce the transitional coinage of what became today’s Saudi Arabia (then the Kingdom of Hejaz and Sultanate of Nejd) 1/4 Qirsh of AH 1343 (KM-1).  The latter coin is also a scarce one as it was transitional and eventually replaced by the 1/4 Qirsh of AH 1344 (KM-4) from the regular series. The early Saudi coins are an interesting series to collect in general with many different types.

The Banknotes of Hejaz

One of the many mysterious corners of Arab numismatics is the banknotes of Hejaz and circumstances surrounding their production. These unissued notes were only “discovered” in the early 1950s after the sale of King Farouk of Egypt’s collections. Few sets reportedly survive today and most collectors don’t even seriously consider trying to locate a set that is available for sale.

A very good article on this subject was written a while back by Peter Symes, and is available at his web site here: http://www.pjsymes.com.au/articles/Hedjaz.htm

I strongly recommend those interested to read this article.