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Algerian Coin Disc
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A Brief History of Algeria
Much of the area in which Algeria now sits was known in ancient times as Numidia, and was a neighbouring state to Ancient Carthage. Following the Punic wars, in which Carthage was defeated and absorbed into the Roman Republic, Numidia was later reduced to a client kingdom, and then Province of the Roman Empire.

Emergence of the Algerian Nation
In the years following the collapse of the Roman Empire, the area was ruled variously by the Vandals, Byzantines and Arabs. The native Berber people largely converted to Islam upon the arrival of the latter. Later, the Ottomans conquered Algeria, and largely defined its modern-day borders. Ottoman control in later years was however, very loose, and local dynasties effectively controlled most of Algeria.

Piracy
Algeria and its capital Algiers, was a notorious as a base used by Barbary pirates for hundreds of years. Not even English coastal villages were safe from the depradations of the Algerian Barbary Cosairs, and many villages were attacked and depopulated by pirates looking for human booty to sell in the Arab and Ottoman slave markets. Despite several campaigns by European and American forces against the Barbaries, it took the conquest and colonisation by the French in the 1830s to put an end to the piracy.

French Rule
From 1848 until 1962, Algeria was ruled as an integral part of France. However, Algerian discontent grew during the 20 Century, and in 1954 a bloody war of independence broke out, which eventually culminated in independence in 1962. Following independence, about 10% of the Algerian population fled to mainland France, most of them French settlers and their descendants.

Algeria Today.
Post-indepence, Algeria descended into civil war and authoritarianism, however, in the wake of the ‘Arab Spring’ in 2011, protesters managed to force the Algerian government to lift the 19 year old state of emergency in Algeria, opening the prospect of further reforms later on.

Algerian Coins
The earliest coins used in Algeria where those influenced by Phoenician designs in the third century BC. Roman, Byzantine, Vandal, Arab and Ottoman coins where later used in the region. The Budju, divisible into 24 Muzuna was used until 1848, when Algeria was formally integrated into France. Thereafter the French Franc was legal tender in Algeria. Although 20, 50 and 100 Franc coins were struck especially for Algeria between 1949 and 1956, most coins used in Algeria were French.

Post-Independence
In 1963, the Franc was replaced by the Dinar at par, with 100 Santeem (Centimes) to the Dinar. Subsequent inflation has rendered the Santeem defunct, and the lowest denomination now struck is the 5 Dinar coin. Current coins are struck in 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Dinar, with higher denominations of money issued in the form of banknotes.

For Sale and Wanted
If you are interested in coins from Algeria please see our product index:-
Algerian Coins

Gold Coins
We also have gold coins from Algeria on our taxfreegold website:-
Algerian Gold Coins



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