Libya Idris I 20 Milliemes

History

20 Milliemes 1965, KM# 9, Libya, Idris I

Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com

Description

In 1965, the second series of coins was issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Milliemes. These coins continued to circulate after 1971 as no new coins were issued until 1975. The original plan of restriking the 1952 coin series was overruled by King Idris. A self-effacing devout Muslim, Idris refused to allow his portrait to be featured on Libyan currency, so the royal arms of the Kingdom of Libya came to replace his portrait on coins and notes.

Idris (Arabic: إدريس الأول‎‎; El Sayyid Prince Muhammad Idris bin Muhammad al-Mahdi as-Senussi; 1889–1983), was a Libyan political and religious leader who served as the Emir of Cyrenaica and then as the King of Libya from 1951 to 1969. He was the chief of the Senussi Muslim order. Idris' regime was weakened by growing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist sentiment in Libya as well as rising frustration at the country's high levels of corruption and close links with Western nations. While in Turkey for medical treatment, Idris was deposed in a 1969 coup d'etat by army officers led by Muammar Gaddafi.

Obverse	Coat of arms Libya Crown, jewelry Libya Symbol, amulet, talisman Star and crescent Royal arms of Libya above Arabic date (in both the Hejira and Christian eras). The emblem of the Kingdom of Libya, known as the "Crown of Libya", was used from 1952-1969. Upper crown adorned with a crescent and five-pointed star at its summit, at which five visible side frames originating from a ring at the base converge. The upper crown is supported at its base by two ornate plantar designs; in the form of three intertwined C and S scroll shapes. Two massive "shoulder" frames contain the body of the crown from the right and left. Each side is a complex formation of intertwined branches in the shape of an S Curve, which is essentially two back-to-back C scrolls; the larger one of which terminates in a large beautiful spiral at the top. Nine five-pointed white stars surround the large crescent. A lower crown, seated above the ring containing the central crescent and star. Its design is identical to the upper crown, except for being smaller in size. The upward-pointing white crescent and star on black background are taken from the traditional banner of the Senussi dynasty. المملكة الليبية ١٣٨٥ - ١٩٦٥
Reverse	Tree, flower, plant etc. Palm Denomination within a wreath of palm fronds, denomination in English below. ٢٠ مليما TWENTY MILLIEMES
Edge	Plain