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Friday 12 July 2019

1042) Tariq ibn Ziyad, Commander of the Umayyad Caliphate forces of Caliph Al-Walid I, after whom Gibraltar ("Gibel Tariq" meaning "Mountain of Tariq"), is named: A 5 Pounds Sterling issued in 1995 by the Government of Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory (BOT):

1042) Tariq ibn Ziyad, Commander of the Umayyad Caliphate forces of Caliph Al-Walid I,  after whom Gibraltar ("Gibel Tariq" meaning "Mountain of Tariq"), is named: A 5 Pounds Sterling issued in 1995 by the Government of Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory (BOT):

Gibraltar: A brief history:

Gibraltar was possessed successively by the Phoenicians, Carthagians, Romans and Visigoths,  but remained largely uninhabited till the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 A.D. by Tariq-ibn-Ziyad from whom Gibraltar gets its name - "Gibel Tariq" (meaning "Tariq's Mountain").

The name "Gibraltar" is a Spanish derivation of the Arabic name "Gibel Tariq".

 In 1160 AD, the city of present day Gibraltar was originally founded by the Almohad monarch - Abd-el-Mu'min.

The Moorish occupation of Gibraltar was the longest in Gibraltar's recorded history - 711 to 1309 and then again from 1350 to 1462 (making for a total of 710 years).

In 1462 AD, Spain finally captured Gibraltar from the Moors and controlled it until 1704.

In 1704 AD, an Anglo-Dutch force took over control of Gibraltar during the War of the Spanish succession, since then it has remained under British control despite Spanish attempts to gain control of it.

A brief about Tariq-ibn-Ziyad:

Tariq ibn Ziyad was an Umayyad commander who led the Muslim conquest of Visigoth Hispania (711-718 AD).


Under orders of the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I, he led a large army and crossed the Strait of Gibraltar from the North African Coast, consolidating his troops at the presently known Rock of Gibraltar. (The existence of the Rock of Gibraltar was first recorded by the Romans, who named it Calpe. Legend has it, that the "Pillars of Hercules" were situated in the Strait of Gibraltar and after they perished, the two mountains - Calpe and Abyla - the latter being situated opposite Gibraltar on the African shore, retained their names).


Musa bin Nusayr, the "Emir of Ifriqiya" (meaning the "Ruler of North Africa") appointed Tariq as the Governor of Tangiers after its conquest in 710-711.

Tariq entered into a Treaty with Julian, the ruler of a nearby outpost at Ceuta, whose daughter was sent to the Spanish (Visigothic) King Roderic's court to receive education, as was the custom of the day, but, Roderic raped Julian's daughter, and Julian vowed to have an alliance with the Muslims to defeat the Visigothic King.

The Muslim Armies under Tariq, secretly crossed the Straits of Gibraltar in several merchant ships and took positions in several forts on the Spanish mainland, which were under the control of Musa-bin-Nusayr.

Tariq's army, which was composed of several recent converts to Islam, regrouped and landed on the Iberian Peninsula under Julian's control. 7,000 Berber horsemen under Tariq's command met Roderic's army of about 100,000 men at the Battle of Guadalete.  As Roderic's army consisted mostly of soldiers commanded by the sons of Wittiza, who had been deposed by Roderic, most of Roderic's army refused to fight and instead fought alongside Tariq's troops. Roderic was defeated in a decisive battle and killed on 19.07.711.

Thereafter, Tariq forces having built up a reputation of being a formidable fighting force, went on the capture Cordoba, Granada, Toledo, Caracca and several other places in Spain and France.

Tariq became the interim Governor of Hispania, until Musa arrived some time later to take over the Governorship.

In 714 AD, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I ordered both Tariq and Musa to come back to Damascus, where Tariq spent the rest of his life.

The Commemorative Banknote:


The Back of the Five Pounds Sterling Banknote issued by the "Government of Gibraltar" depicts the Moorish Castle at left and an image of Tariq-bin-Zayid at right, sword in hand and facing left.

The Moorish Castle:

The Moorish Castle (or "El Castillo" in Spanish) is a medieval fortification in Gibraltar having various buildings, gates and fortified walls, with the dominant features being the Upper Tower or the Tower of Homage, together with various terraces and battlements below it  and the massive Gate house with its cupola roof. The Tower of Homage is the highest tower of the period of Islamic rule in the Iberian Peninsula and the Qasbah of the Castle is the largest in the area.

The Moorish Castle was built by the Marinad Dynasty a Sunni Muslim Dynasty of Zeneta Berber descent that ruled Morocco from the 13th to the 15th Centuries.

Gibraltar was occupied by several civilisations beginning from the Neanderthal period.

The Moorish conquest of Spain was led by Tarik-ibn-Ziyad and Musa-ibn-Nusayr, who made present day Gibraltar a stepping-stone to the Moorish conquests of most of Spain and part of France over a period of 21 years.

The strategic importance of Gibraltar grew, towards the last years of Moorish Rule, when after the successful Spanish re-conquest of the entire Guadalquivir valley, Gibraltar became one of the key elements in the communication between the Kingdom of Granada and Moorish domains in North-western Africa.

The construction of the Moorish Castle commenced in the 8th Century AD (around 711 AD). Its walls enclosed a considerable area, reaching down from the upper part of the Rock of Gibraltar to the sea.

The Castle played an important role in the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, with Muslim forces over-running a large portion of it in two years - an invasion that led to Islamic domination of parts of Western Europe for more than seven centuries.

Part of the Moorish castle served as the prison of Gibraltar until the prison was relocated in 2010.

The Front of the Five Pounds Sterling Banknote shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (at right) and the Emblem of Gibraltar at left.






(The above 5 Pounds Sterling Banknote is from the collection of Jayant Biswas. Post researched and written by Rajeev Prasad)








Links to some other interesting posts from the British Isles and British Overseas Territories/Dependencies:
Central Bank of Ireland issues:


1) Jonathan Swift: 350th Birth Anniversary 15 Euro Silver Proof coin features his most famous work "Gulliver's Travels" : Coin issued on 30.11.2017

2) Ireland: Women's right to Vote - 100th Year Anniversary : A Silver 15 Euro Proof Collector Coin issued by the Central Bank of Ireland on 27.11.2018

3) Irish Myths & Legends: 1) The Children of Lir;2) Cu Chulain; 3) The Omniscient Salmon of Knowledge; 4) Werewolves of Ossory; 5) The Brown Bull of Cooley and Deirdre of the Sorrows: An Annual Mint Set from the Central Bank of Ireland, recreates/celebrates Irish Folk Tales (Issue date: 30.04.2018)

Northern Ireland Bank issues:

1) Northern Ireland Polymer Bank Issues: Danske Bank (10 Pounds Polymer Banknotes), Bank of Ireland (5 & 10 Pound Polymer Banknotes) to go into circulation in 2020/21

6) Jane Austen: features on the second circulating Polymer Banknote of 10 Pounds denomination to be released on 14.09.2017

Inspirations from Scottish History (Clydesdale Bank Banknotes): 

1) The Legend of King Bruce & the Spider on Banknotes
  
2) Commemorating Sir William Arrol and his creation the Forth Rail Bridge by issues of Britain's first ever 5 Pound Polymer Banknote

Banknotes from Bank of Scotland:



British Crown Dependencies:

1) Specimen Banknotes from the States of Jersey

2) Coinage and Currency from the States of Jersey

3) Currency & Coinage of the Bailiwick of Guernsey

4) Currency & Coinage of Gibraltar : An Overseas Territory of Great Britain

5) Coinage of Gibraltar: (A British Overseas Territory): An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set minted by the Tower Mint, UK in 2010
  
6) The Isle of Man: An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set minted by Pobjoy Mint, UK in 2015

7) The Centenary of the ill-fated Titanic (15.04.1912 - 15.04.2012): An Alderney Five Pound Coin Commemorating the Maritime Legend

8) "Man of Steel": A Superman Movie: A set of stamps brought out in 2013 by Jersey post, the States of Jersey, commemorating Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill who played Superman in the Movie

9) Coins & Currency of Bermuda

10) The Bailiwick of Jersey - Presently circulating coinage - Pounds and Pence 

11) St. Helena & Ascension Islands: An Uncirculated Coin Set from 2003 

12) The Legend of the "HMAV Bounty" is interwoven with the heritage of the Pitcairn Islands: An uncirculated coin set from Pitcairn Islands in 2009 depicting the icons/relics of the Bounty minted by the New Zealand Mint

13) Currency of the Falkland Islands: A British Overseas Territory (BOT) Pounds & Pence

14) Falkland Islands Penguins: 50 Pence Coin Series: The first Coin in the Series of four coins: the Rock-Hopper Penguin 


15) Falkland Islands Penguins: 50 Pence Coin Series: The Gentoo Penguin:Second Coin in the series of four coins issued on 20.06.2017 

19) The Isle of Man: A British Crown Dependency (BCD) Coinage: A newly introduced Collector's circulation Currency Coinage Collector's set received from the Tower Mint, London, UK issued in April 2017

20) Pegasus: British Virgin Islands: A gold Bullion Coin of $100 issued by Pobjoy Mint on belalf of British Virgin Islands in July 2018

21) "The Hydra": British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT): A Silver Double Crown (4 Pounds), 2 Oz High Relief Coin with Antique Finish: Third Coin in the Series titled "Mythical Creatures" issued by Pobjoy Mint, UK on behalf of BIOT on 07.08.2018

22) "Medusa The Gorgon": British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT): A Silver Double Crown (4 Pounds), 2 Oz High relief Coin with antique Finish: Fourth Coin in the series titled "Mythical Creatures" issued by Pobjoy Mint UK on behalf of BIOT in 09/2018



25) South Atlantic Fauna Coins from Ascension Island and South Georgia and Sandwich Islands, British Overseas Territories (BOT): (Part II): A 1 Pound Titanium Coin & a 1 Pound Uncirculated Coin variant, feature the Queen Triggerfish, issued on behalf of Ascension Island (2019) minted by the Pobjoy Mint, UK

26) Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic Explorer: South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands: A 2 Pounds Coin minted by Pobjoy Mint, UK, brought out on 26.02.2019 on behalf of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands in two variants - Silver and Cupro-nickel

27) Concorde, a Stamp set from Gibraltar, A British Overseas Territory (BOT): 50th Anniversary of the first Supersonic Passenger Carrying Airplane, jointly built by France and Great Britain: Stamp set issue date: 20.04.2019

28) Tristan da Cunha (BOT): A Wedgwood "Three Graces" Jasperware 5 Pound Coin: minted in 2018

29) 75th Anniversary of D-Day Landings: (The Battle of Normandy): i) A Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau Stamp set of 4 stamps issued on 08.03.2019: ii) A Limited edition D-Day joint Commemorative issue by British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territory - Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man and Gibraltar on 06.06.2019

30) Manannan, the First King of Isle of Man or Mann: A Silver 5 Pounds Coin brought out by the Isle of Man in collaboration with Coin Invest Trust (CIT) and minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich



Famous Battles
1) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's Exile to St. Helena: (Part I): A One Crown Commemorative coin issued by the Ascension Island (minted by Pobjoy Mint UK) 
2) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's Exile to st. Helena: (Part II) 1) A 5 GBP Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK. 2) A"Drie Landen Zilverset" ( ot the "Three Lands Silver set") containing coins issued by the Royal Dutch Mint including coins of Netherlands, Belgium and UK

3) Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain by issuing a 50 Pence coin by the Royal Mint UK

Gold Coins:
  
1) Gold Sovereigns issued in 2013 & 2014 by MMTC-PAMP in India under licence from the Royal Mint, UK, carrying the "I" Mint Mark

2) Gold Half-Sovereigns minted by MMTC-PAMP in India in 2014 under licence from the Royal Mint UK bearing the "I" Mint Mark 

Silver Coins:

1) A 20 Pound Silver coin minted for the first timr by the royal Mint UK: reverse design carries the famous St. George slaying the dragon design found on Gold Sovereigns 

British India Coinage:

 1) East India Company Quarter Anna Copper Coin which is one of the first issues under the Coinage Act 1835

2) Victoria Coinage: When she was Queen and afterwards Empress

3) Edward VII: King & Emperor  Coinage

4) George V King Emperor Coinage

5) George VI: The last of the British India Emperors Coinage 

Other British Royalty: 

1) Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations (1952-2012): A Five Pound Commemorative coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK

2) Commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953: A Five Pound Coin minted by the Royal Mint UK in 2013, depicting the Imperial State Crown

3) The Royal Coat of Arms of the UK: Great British 2012 Coin Set (Uncirculated) issued by the Royal Mint UK

4) Prince George's Christening Ceremony celebrated with coins issued by the Royal Mint UK in 2013

5) The British Empire:  A Case of Numismatic "Segregation": (Guest Post by Rahul Kumar)

6) 1) The Portrait Collection: Various Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on Coinage 2) The Fourth & Final Circulating coinage of the Portrait designed by Ian Rank-Broadley and the First Edition of the portrait of the Queen made by Jody Clark

 British Coinage:

1) The contribution of the Great British One-Pound coins in keeping alive the historical legends/emblems/heritage of the UK (1983 onwards)

2) Transformation of a Five shilling Coin (Crown) into the UK Twenty-five Pence & then the Five Pound Coin


4) The 350th Anniversary of the Guinea: A Two Pound Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK celebrating the milestone




 Commemorative British Coinage:

 1) Commemorating the Bicentenary of Charles Dickens: A Two pound coin celebrating his literary contributions during the Victorian Era

 2) Commemorating 50 Years of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - presently called the World Wide Fund for Nature by issue of a Fifty Pence coin by the Royal Mint, UK

3) Coins commemorating London Olympics & Paralympics (2012)

4) Commemorating 150 Years of the London Underground : Two pound Coins minted by the Royal Mint UK, showing the "Roundel" logo and a train emerging from a tunnel 

5) Commemorating the 100th Birth anniversary of Christopher Ironside with his " Royal Arms" design on a 50 Pence coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK 




Links: Postage Stamps: 


4 comments:

  1. Santosh Khanna has commented:
    "Excellent information!"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anoop Banerjee has commented:
    "Superb research & very informative. Little more educated now."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Anoopda for the constant encouragement.

      Delete