Coin Morocco Abd al-Rahman - 2 Falus, Contemporary Counterfeit

This 2 falus struck during the reign of Moulay Abderrahmane is a particularly interesting example due to its nature as a contemporary counterfeit.

Contemporary counterfeits are well-recognized objects of study in numismatics. They reveal local economic realities, particularly the inadequacy of the supply of fractional currency or the existence of monetary demand that official mints struggled to meet. Their presence also attests to the intensity of monetary circulation and the commercial practices prevailing in 19th-century Morocco.

Moulay Abderrahmane ibn Hicham, the Alaouite sultan who reigned from 1822 to 1859, governed Morocco amid strong external tensions. His reign was marked by growing pressure from European powers, most notably during the Battle of Isly in 1844, in which Moroccan forces were defeated by the French army led by Thomas Robert Bugeaud. This conflict was directly linked to the sultan's support for the Algerian emir Abd el-Kader in his struggle against the French conquest of Algeria. The Moroccan defeat was followed by the signing of the Treaty of Lalla Maghnia, which established part of the border between French Algeria and Morocco.

On the domestic front, the reign of Moulay Abderrahmane was also marked by difficulties in maintaining central authority in the face of tribal tensions and the ambitions of regional notables. In this context, monetary counterfeits constitute a valuable testimony to the economic realities of the kingdom and the limits of the central power's control over fiduciary circulation.