Obverse. Image Courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS.com)
  • 25 Qirsh 1956, Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser
  • 25 Qirsh 1956, Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser
Description

The 1956 constitution was approved by a public referendum in June, and in the same referendum, Gamal Abdel-Nasser was approved as president. He would be president for 16 years, until his death in 1970.

The 1956 constitution on presidential elections stated that the president of Egypt oversees the executive authority and any candidate for the post should be an Egyptian citizen, with an Egyptian father and grandfather and should not be younger than 35 years on the day of the elections.

In 1958 and 1965 Nasser was re-elected as the country's president by a vast majority of votes in public referendums based on the 1956 constitution and later the 1958 constitution of unity with Syria, by which he was president of the United Arab Republic.

Obverse

Depicts a portrait of Nasser (right), inscription "Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of Republic of Egypt" above.

Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein (1918–1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second President of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the 1952 overthrow of the monarchy and introduced far-reaching land reforms the following year. Following a 1954 attempt on his life by a Muslim Brotherhood member, he cracked down on the organization, put President Mohamed Naguib under house arrest and assumed executive office. He was formally elected president in June 1956.

Nasser's popularity in Egypt and the Arab world skyrocketed after his nationalization of the Suez Canal and his political victory in the subsequent Suez Crisis. Calls for pan-Arab unity under his leadership increased, culminating with the formation of the United Arab Republic with Syria from 1958 to 1961. Following Egypt's defeat by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, Nasser resigned, but he returned to office after popular demonstrations called for his reinstatement. By 1968, Nasser had appointed himself Prime Minister, launched the War of Attrition to regain lost territory, began a process of depoliticizing the military and issued a set of political liberalization reforms. After the conclusion of the 1970 Arab League summit, Nasser suffered a heart attack and died.

Nasser remains an iconic figure in the Arab world, particularly for his strides towards social justice and Arab unity, modernization policies and anti-imperialist efforts. His presidency also encouraged and coincided with an Egyptian cultural boom and launched large industrial projects, including the Aswan Dam and Helwan city.

Designer: Abdul Fattah Wahba

جمال عبد الناصر رئيس جمهورية مصر

Reverse

Depicts mirrored vulture wings and Egyptian cobra heads (symbols of Ancient Egypt) flanking the disk of the sun (God Amun Ra). The country name (Republic of Egypt), value (Arabic numeral 25 in the center, the denomination "Qirsh" below) and dates (Hegira and Gregorian) above.

The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) was represented in Egyptian mythology by the cobra-headed goddess Meretseger. A stylised Egyptian cobra—in the form of the uraeus representing the goddess Wadjet—was the symbol of sovereignty for the Pharaohs who incorporated it into their diadem.

جمهورية مصر
٢٥
قرشا
١٣٧٥-١٩٥٦

Edge

25 Qirsh (Piastres)

Special Strike

Gamal Abdel Nasser

KM#
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.720
Weight 17.5 g
Diameter 35 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Cairo Mint

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