Expert: PAPAJACK - 3/19/2007

Question
I have a Maroc 10 Francs bronze 1371 coin, could you tell me its worth and if its rare? and some info about it as different sites are saying different things. Should you not know the answer can you direct me to someone who would.

Thanks

Answer
Hello Liam,  

I am not an expert on foreign coins. I do use the "Standard Catalog of World Coins" for information. Every library has a copy in reference.
They are in volumes each covering a date range.  I can also recommend another expert at this site Brad Swain, He is very knowledgeable on world coins.

Another writer GEORGE STEBINSKY had this information in his COIN COMMENT  newspaper column for these coins and he is quoted below.
"Your coin is a bit of an enigma. It was indeed struck for use in Morocco, but it wasn’t minted there. It might have been struck in 1371, but it definitely was not minted 630 years ago.
When your coin was minted, Morocco was a French protectorate. Your Moroccan coin was struck in Paris for King Mohammed V. The coin bears the date 1371 ? that’s 1371 A.H., not A.D. 1371. Muslim countries, such as Morocco, use the Anno Hegirae dating system, reckoned from the flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in A.D. 622. Western countries use the Anno Domino dating system, reckoned from the birth of Christ.
The year 1371 A.H. began Oct. 2, 1951, and ended Sept. 20, 1952. Complicating the computation is the fact that the A.H. year is 11 days shorter than the Christian year.
Your coin, however, might have been minted as late as 1974. Morocco used the same date on its 10-franc coins for decades, and no one can tell one year’s coins from another.
Minted by the million for decades, the 1371 10-franc coin is common. Dealers sell them for a dime or so. However, any coin that can teach so much is a valuable coin indeed.
One of the neat things about coin collecting is that age doesn’t have anything to do with value. Coins from ancient Judea that circulated during the life of Christ can be bought for less than $10. Coins issued by Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor who embraced Christianity, often go for $1 to $5. "

Sorry I could not be more helpful. Its value seems to be less than $2.00 USD.  Here are some URL addresses you can check as well.
http://auctions.yahoo.com/i::8873679
http://www.24carat.co.uk/moroccofrenchprotectoratecoins.html
http://cgi.ebay.com/Morocco-Exotic-1951-10-franc-Coin_W0QQitemZ280092972970QQcat...

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Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack