2010 Côte d'Ivoire Silver 1500 Francs CFA – Mecca-Qibla Compass

Coin of the Year 2012 Winner – “Most Innovative Coin”

The key object of this coin series is the spoon-shaped magnet, which is a Chinese invention and dates back to the second century before Christ. The thin end of the spoon points to the south and was originally made out of magnetic iron ore. The magnet orients itself toward the North Pole.

Background and History
Mecca, also spelled Makkah (occasionally Bakkah) is a city in Saudi Arabia, and the holiest meeting site in Islam, closely followed by Medina.

Muslim tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants. In the 7th century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad proclaimed Islam in the city which was by then an important trading center. After 966, Mecca was led by local sharifs. When the authority of the Ottoman Empire in the area collapsed in 1916, the local rulers established the Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz. The Hejaz kingdom, including Mecca, was absorbed by the Saudis in 1925. In its modern period, Mecca has seen tremendous expansion in size and infrastructure.

The modern day city is the capital of Saudi Arabia's Makkah Province, in the historic Hejaz region. With a population of 1.7 million (2008), the city is located 73 km (45 mi) inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of 277 m (909 ft.) above sea level. Every year, millions of Muslims perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca walking seven times around the Kaaba and more than 13 million people visit Mecca annually.

On the coin the globe is symbolically subdivided into 36 segments. The position 0/36 for Mecca is represented by both minarets and the conventionalised Kaaba. On an enclosure several cities are listed with a number. Who then wants to locate the position of Mecca must turn the set until the thin end of the spoon points to the corresponding number. The minarets then indicate in which direction Mecca lies. This set is especially suitable as a gift to express ones appreciation towards the receiver. It is not essential to take the set on journeys. It also does its service on a desk or shelf – it shows in which direction Mecca lies.

The reverse shows the emblem of Cote d'Ivoire.

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