Obverse. Photo © egynotes_74
  • 20 Centimes 1865, KM# Tn5, Suez Canal, Abdülaziz
  • 20 Centimes 1865, KM# Tn5, Suez Canal, Abdülaziz
Description

The Eyalet of Egypt operated as an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire from 1517 to 1867.

This token was issued by Borel, Lavalley and Company, an engineering firm and contractor to the Suez Canal Company. Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps and his Suez Canal Company built the canal between 1859 and 1869.

Paul Borel and Alexandre Lavalley formed their company in December 1863. Graduates of a polytechnic school, both worked in the railway industry before joining the canal project. An estimated 74 million cubic meters of material was excavated for the main canal, and Borel and Lavalley handled more than 75 percent of it.

The company issued trade tokens, presumably for workers to buy provisions at the company store. Tokens are good for 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 Franc, or 5 Francs. The 5 Franc pieces are the rarest.

Obverse

Depicts a three-masted barque at the sea surrounded by a beaded circle. Legend SUEZ CANAL WORKS in French above and country name EGYPT below.

TRAVAUX DU CANAL DE SUEZ
ÉGYPTE

Reverse

Depicts the denomination ("Good for 20 Centimes") with two stars surrounded by a beaded circle and legend. Date below.

Paul Borel and Alexandre Lavalley were contractors of the Suez Canal Company who designed, built, and operated the dredging machines that finished the excavation of the Suez Canal from 1864 to 1869 after the use of forced labour was disallowed.

BOREL LAVALLEY ET COMPIE
BON POUR
★ 20 ★
CENTIMES
1865

Edge

20 Centimes

Eyalet, Suez Canal Token
KM# Tn5
Characteristics
Material Brass
Weight 1.64 g
Diameter 18 mm
Thickness -
Shape polygon
Sides 20
Alignment Medal

Related coins

Eyalet, Suez Canal Token

Copper, ⌀ 15 mm