Obolos 43

ISLAMIC WEIGHTS, Post-Ottoman Arabian territories. (Brass, 124.5 mm, 641.00 g), 1/2 Okka = 200 Dirham, Assayed between AH 1325 and 1384 = AD 1907/8 - 1964/5. Used in Iraq, Baghdad (امانة العاصمة = Amānt al-'Āsimah). Seven assay stamps: داود / ١٣٢٥ (Dā'wud 1325: Probably the name of an Ottoman official); امانة / العاصمة / ١٣٦١ (Capital Municpality 1361); امانة / العاصمة / ١٣٧٧ (Capital Municpality 1377); ١٣٧٩ (1379); امانة / العاصمة / ٨٢ هـ (Capital Municpality, hijra [13]82); ٨٣ ([13]83); امانة / العاصمة / ١٣٨٤ (Capital Municpality 1384); حق? (to be right/correct: Probably a previous Ottoman stamp confirming the validity of the weight). Unpublished and of great rarity!

From the Collection of Mr. Beat A. Klein, acquired at Simmons Gallery, London, between 2010 and 2023 .

After the British occupation of Iraq in 1917, the Ottoman Empire lost control over the Iraqi provinces. In 1921, Iraq became a kingdom under Faisal I, and in 1932, it achieved formal independence from the British mandate. During this period and even afterwards, there was no unified system of measurement or currency. Various currencies from Turkey to Iran circulated and were widely accepted. The old Ottoman weight system continued to be used well into the late 1960s, if not even later. In rural areas on the outskirts of Baghdad, people even used stones as weights in the 1960s, while in the city markets and local shops, the traditional Ottoman Okka unit (derived from Arabic "Uqiyyah") remained in use.

Regarding Baghdad, in 1931, Law No. 84 concerning municipal administration was enacted, drawing heavily from the old Ottoman Vilayet Municipal Law. This law stipulated that the municipality of Baghdad, originally called "Baladiyāt Baghdad" had to be renamed to "Amānt al-'Āsimah." This name - stamped on our weight - was in use at least until 1960, as documented in a written source from that year, and it is very likely that the name continued to be used for several years afterwards.