ISIS MINT FOUND IN TURKEY

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V18 2015 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 18, Number 41, October 11, 2015, Article 21

ISIS MINT FOUND IN TURKEY

Clandestine coiners caught! Thanks to Pabitra Saha for forwarding this article and video about the apparent capture of ISIS coin makers in Turkey. Thanks also to David Pickup for sending another article from The Times on the topic. -Editor

Six people linked to Islamic State have been arrested on charges of illegally minting coins in the Turkish province of Gaziantep, according to the local governor's office. It comes just one month after the group released a propaganda video showing off its currency. The Gaziantep Police Department's counter-terrorism unit on Wednesday confiscated minted coins, 12 coining blocks, 56 coins in four sizes, and other materials used in the minting of coins, Turkish daily Milliyet reported Wednesday.

A video posted online reportedly shows the confiscated coins and equipment.

The Gaziantep Governor's Office said it had acted on a tipoff about members of Islamic State (formerly ISIS/ISIL) establishing a mint to coin its own money.

It comes just one month after ISIS released a propaganda video showing images allegedly showing the minting and circulation of the group's currency.

I haven't seen anything in the numismatic or mainstream press about this yet. YouTube videos aren't the most credible source, but the images do seem to depict real coin dies and minting equipment. With this material confiscated and in the hands of the Turkish government, I would encourage museums to reach out to their counterparts in Turkey to pursue possible acquisitions for their collections. These artifacts are important relics of today's headline events, and can be used to tell the story to future generations. -Editor

To read the complete article, see:
ISIS currency mint found in Turkey, 6 arrested (www.rt.com/news/317931-isis-mint-currency-turkey/)

To read the complete Times article, see:
Turkish police raid illicit mint making Isis currency (www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/europe/article4579172.ece)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
ISIS TO ISSUE ITS OWN COINAGE? (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n47a25.html)
COIN WORLD: ISIS COINAGE IMPROBABLE (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n48a22.html)
ARE ISIS COINS BEING MINTED IN CHINA? (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n01a26.html)
IMAGES SURFACE OF PURPORTED ISIS COINS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n26a25.html)
ISIS VIDEO SHOWS GOLD DINARS BEING MINTED (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n35a25.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

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