Syria 50 Qirsh 1959

History

50 Qirsh 1959, KM# 89, Syria, 1st Anniversary of the United Arab Republic

Obverse. Photo © Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS.com)

Description

The United Arab Republic (UAR) was a short-lived political union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union after the 1961 Syrian coup d'état. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971. The president was Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was a member of the United Arab States, a loose confederation with North Yemen which in 1961 dissolved along with the Republic.

Obverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Eagle Coat of arms United Arab Republic Coat of arms of the United Arab Republic. The coat of arms used by the United Arab Republic featured a shield carried by the Eagle of Saladin. Below, a scroll has the Arabic text for "United Arab Republic". The Arab eagle, in Egypt also known as the Eagle of Saladin or as the Republican Eagle is a heraldic eagle used as an emblem in Arab nationalism and in the coat of arms and flags of the Arab world. The association with Saladin is due to the depiction of an eagle on the west wall of the Cairo Citadel built under Saladin, although the eagle itself is of more recent date. الجمهورية العربية المتحدة
Reverse	Denomination divides dates (Hegira and Gregorian), the inscriptions above "Anniversary of the Founding of the United Arab Republic" and "22 February 1958" with Syrian piasters below. تذكار قيام الجمهورية العربية المتحدة ٢٢ فبراير ١٩٥٨ ٥۰ ۱۳۷۸ ۱۹٥۹ قرشاً سورياً
Edge	Reeded (milled)