(sold for $280.0)

Mint Place: Fes Hazrat Reference: KM-C#150.2. Denomination: Gold Benduqi Mint Date: AH 1248 (1832 AD) Condition: Crudely struck as usual, welding mark on edge (where a suspension loop was removed), lightly deformed, otherwise VF+ Diameter: 17mm Weight: 3.38gm Material: Gold!

Morocco has a very important strategic location, as a gateway to western Europe. This has resulted in the nation being attacked and subjugated by many invaders from the Phoenicians and Romans to the more modern French and Spanish. At the time of the mintage of this coin, Morocco was under French control. Of interest, is the fact that Morocco was the first nation to recognize the sovereignity of the United States in 1777.

Moulay Abd al-Rahman ibn Hisham (Marrakesh, 1778 – Meknes, 28 August 1859) (Arabic: عبد الرحمان‎‎) was the sultan of Morocco from 1822 to 1859. He was a member of the Alaouite dynasty.

Abd al-Rahman ibn Hisham was born in 1778. Following the death of his uncle Suleiman of Morocco, Abd al-Rahman was proclaimed sultan of Morocco in Fez on 30 November 1822. His reign began during a tumultuous time, when   many noble families and rural tribal confederations in Morocco were   trying to extract greater power away from the center, and spent much of   the early part of his reign crushing revolts.

Upon ascension, the sultan's finances were in shambles. With the country in disarray, the central government (the Makhzen)   was unable to collect much customary taxation. Abd al-Rahman turned to   foreign trade, which had been cut off by the prior sultan, as way to   reap in customs revenue, and began to negotiate a series of trade treaties with various   European powers. Abd al-Rahman also decided to revive the institution   of Barbary piracy, hoping to replenish his treasury, but this created confrontations with the European powers as British blockaded Tangier in 1828, and the Austrians bombarded Larache, Asilah and Tetouan in 1829. The final bombardment of a Moroccan city in retribution for piracy occurred in 1851 at Salé.

He was an adept leader and administrator and was able to build public   works and infrastructure. He did however have to deal with internal   conflicts and had to quell revolts many times: 1824, 1828, 1831, 1843,   1849, and 1853. He was always successful at placating the nobles and   malcontents though.

The most serious foreign threat to Morocco, however, was France, which had launched its invasion of neighboring Algeria in 1830. Abd al-Rahman rushed Moroccan troops up to defend Tlemcen, but they were thrown back and Tlemcen captured by the French in 1832. Abd al-Rahman supported the continued guerrilla resistance in Algeria led by Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri,   albeit only tentatively, not wishing to incur French retaliation. But   the border tribes of Morocco continued supporting Abd al-Qadir more   actively, prompting the French launch their own strikes over the border   and establishing forward outposts in Moroccan territory, which only   inflamed the reaction in Morocco and increased the irregular border war.   The French demanded that Morocco cease its support of Abd al-Qadir and   cede its eastern frontierlands to French control and, in 1844, launched   the Franco-Moroccan War. The war did not go well for the sultan. The French navy bombarded Mogador (Essaouira) and Tangier, while the Moroccan army, under Abd al-Rahman's son Moulay Muhammad, was decisively defeated by the French at the Battle of Isly in August 1844. Abd al-Rahman was forced to consent to the humiliating Treaty of Tangier in October 1844, withdrawing support for al-Qadir, reducing the   frontier garrisons and submitting the Moroccan-Algerian border to   modification. The Treaty of Lalla Maghnia was signed in March 1845, whereby the Moroccan border was demarcated further west, closer to the Moulouya River.

The treaties aggravated the internal situation in Morocco, which grew   more unstable as Abd al-Rahman was accused of yielding too quickly to   French demands. Abd al-Rahman in fact rejected the treaty of Lalla   Maghnia at first, blaming it on his negotiatiors, but was eventually   forced to ratify it. Army units and rural tribes across the north and   east, already basically ungovernable, started raising rebellions which   were only crushed with difficulty. The aftermath saw the break between   Abd al-Rahman and Abd al-Qadir.

In 1856, Mulai Abd al-Rahman established the souk of Zraqten on the north side of the High Atlas, adding to territory in southern Morocco controlled by the Glaouis, who were Caids ruling various southern areas from the 18th century until Moroccan independence in 1956, after originally settling in Telouet to establish a souk. They would tax caravans travelling from the Sahara and Tafilalt regions as well as taxing goods sold locally.

The Agdal Gardens of Marrakesh, an irrigated garden, originally established by the Almoravids in the 12th century and enlarged in the days of the Saadians was revamped, reforested and encircled by ramparts during the reign of Mulai Abd al-Rahman.

Abd al-Rahman died in Meknes on August 28, 1859. He was succeeded by his son, sultan Mohammed IV of Morocco.

During his long reign he proved himself competent in an Africa that   was being colonized by stronger European nations. He was able to remain   independent and maintain his borders without ceding any land. He also   signed the necessary treaties to enforce his beliefs.