Silver Service

A coin of the realm sometimes ends up with a story far beyond its original purpose. This Egyptian silver 50 piastres coin, dated 1917, offers exactly that.

Originally struck as currency during the First World War, one side of the coin has been carefully removed and engraved with the details of a British serviceman. The inscription records F. White, service number 467151, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, specifically the Territorial force, marked here as RA(T)MC. A small decorative motif of a rising sun above three pyramids adds a subtle Egyptian flourish, perhaps reflecting the coin’s origin.

The reverse still shows the original design: the Arabic inscription and denomination of 50 Piastres, framed by a wreath and dated 1917. The transformation of the coin into an identity disc gives it an entirely different significance.

During the First World War it was common for soldiers to wear official identity discs around the neck. However, many also carried or wore privately made identification pieces such as wrist bracelets. French and Belgian soldiers frequently used this format, and British servicemen sometimes followed the same idea. The intention was simple but sobering – to reduce the risk of being left unidentified on the battlefield.

The statistics of the conflict underline that concern. Roughly one in three who served became casualties, and among those losses a significant number still have no known grave.

Personalised identity pieces like this engraved coin offer a poignant glimpse into that reality. Carried in service and tailored to the individual soldier, they often open the door to fascinating research into a single life within a vast global conflict.