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Auction: 318 - The Collector's Series
Lot: 1312

Yemen. Qasimid Imams. Al-Mutawakkil Yahya b. Muhammad `Imam Yahya' (AH 1322-1367/1904-1948 AD). Presentation Gold `Imadi Riyal (5 Lira), AH 1344 (1925/1926 AD). 35.58 gms. Ruler's name and titles within concentric crescents: Amir al-mumenin al-Mutawakkil `Ala Allah Rabb al-`Alamin Yahya bin Muhammad hamid al-din, ascension date AH 1322 above, star flanked by branches below, rev. Kalima within central circle, `Imadi within compartment above, flanked by branches, mint San`a and date in large lozenge below. Yahya became Imam upon his father's death in 1904, ruling over the mountainous areas of north Yemen. With the demise of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, Yahya entered San`a and was proclaimed ruler of all Yemen. He immediately forbade the bearing of arms when entering the capital. A strong and able ruler, Yahya ended the near anarchy and lawlessness which plagued the Yemen, brought peace to the land and helped create a modern state. In 1926, the year of this presentation Riyal, the Italo-Yemeni Treaty was signed in which Italy acknowledged Yahya as king of Yemen and recognized his claims to `Aden, which was then a British crown colony. Yahya was assassinated on February 17, 1948 shocking the Arab world. Jordan's King `Abdallah likened the event to the murder of the third caliph `Uthman b. `Affan. The Yemeni tribes rallied around Yahya's son Ahmad who was proclaimed the new Imam. Based on the gold standard of the Turkish Lira, Imam Yahya's Presentation Gold Riyals, while similar to the silver Riyals, were struck from special dies. Very Rare. Fr. 2, Y.F10. Extremely Fine-About Uncirculated.

Sold for
$5,000

Sale 318 Notices
For accuracy, there is minor irregularity on the rim/edge. It has been suggested that this might be from a light mount, but it is our opinion that this is a defect in the collar which occurred during the minting process (not uncommon).