Bidspirit auction | Palestine - ”PALESTINE 1917” Souvenir

Palestine - ”PALESTINE 1917” Souvenir Token, Engraved on an Egyptian 10 Piastres Coin by a Soldier of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force - An official Egyptian 10 Piastres coin dated 1917, hand-engraved and repurposed as a personal souvenir by a soldier serving with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (E.E.F.) – a British-commanded, multi-national army based in Egypt that included British, Australian, Indian, and Egyptian troops – during World War I. One side of the coin was smoothed and engraved with the inscriptions: Top: “P.M.D. to P.M.W.” Center: “PALESTINE 1917” Bottom: “N.A.C.B.” accompanied by an engraved scene of pyramids and palm trees, symbolic of Egypt. Research suggests that: P.M.D. may refer to the Preventive Medicine Department, a British military health unit. P.M.W. could denote Post Meridian Windsor, possibly referring to service duties. N.A.C.B. may correspond to No Action Career Board or a similar administrative body. Such engraved coins were commonly crafted by soldiers as personal keepsakes marking their units, service, and time in Palestine. Obverse: Original Arabic legend of the 1917 Egyptian 10 Piastres coin, dated 1335 AH. Reverse: Hand engraving with the inscriptions “P.M.D. to P.M.W.”, “PALESTINE 1917”, and “N.A.C.B.”, featuring pyramids and palm trees motif. Material: Silver Diameter: 30 mm Weight: 12.568 g A rare and historically significant piece commemorating the Egyptian Expeditionary Force’s presence in Palestine during World War I and the soldiers’ tradition of crafting personalized engraved souvenirs.