Coin dating can be quite confusing. In North America, especially in the United States and Canada, coin dating is quite easy as we date things using the Christian Era (AD) system, and it seems that many countries around the world have also adopted this style. But then there are those few countries that don't adhere to the Christian Era dating system and many are left scratching their heads wondering what that confusing number really translates into. So instead of writing down all of the different dates, I will explain them to you. I will be using the abbreviations used in the Krause Catalogs. I will not be posting every calendar ever created, that will take too much time.
Christian Era (AD) - No explanation needed, the current year is 2012 if you were wondering! AD stands for Anno Domini, and not after death. The Christian Era calendar also goes by the name of Gregorian Calendar or Western Calendar. BC however stands for Before Christ or if you live in Canada, British Columbia.
Muslim Era (AH) (Islamic Calendar / Hijri Calendar) - Current Year - 1433 AH. The AH stands for is a Latin abbreviation for Anno Hegirae. This dating system is used to commemorate the emigration of the Prophet Mohammed and his followers to the city of Medina in AD622, which would be year 0. This is a lunar calendar which is used to determine the proper time for the Haji (or pilgrimage to Mecca) and to determine Ramadan, the annual fast. This dating system is used primarily in predominantly Muslim countries. Sometimes you will see a dual system of both AH and AD calendar years presented on coins and currency in these countries.
Solar Year (SH) (Iranian / Persian Calendar) - Current Year - 1391 SH . The SH stands for Solar Hijri. This dating system is the official Calendar system of Iran and Afghanistan. Sometimes you will see the use of AP which is the Latin abbreviation for Anno Persico. It is one of the oldest calendar systems in the world and one of the most accurate. The Solar Year calendar is also used to predict the Haji and Ramadan, much like the Muslim Era calendar.
Monarchic Solar Era (MS) (Iranian / Persian Calendar) - Current Year - 2571. This is a now defunct calendar system, formerly used during the reign of the Pahlavi Dynasty of Iran. The last Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza, changed the calendar in 1976 to replace the Solar Year calendar to commemorate 2,500 years of Persian Monarchy. A few years later, the last Shah passed away from cancer after he was deposed during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. It is exactly the same as the Solar Year calendar except the year is different.
The next set of Coin Dating will be on next Thursday's Terminology Post! So Stay Tuned!
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