A collection of 12 rare coins—American, Indian, and Chinese—donated by lawyer Imad Abbas Al-Saadi to the Basra Antiquities Inspectorate to be archived as part of the city’s heritage record.
Basra lawyer donates rare coins to antiquities office to preserve heritage
BASRA — A local lawyer in Basra has donated a collection of rare coins to the Basra Antiquities Inspectorate, in what officials called a significant act of cultural preservation.
“We received today from lawyer Imad Abbas Al-Saadi 12 rare heritage coins dating back to various periods estimated at around 160 years,” said Mustafa Al-Husseini, director of Basra’s Department of Antiquities and Heritage, in a statement to 964media.
Al-Saadi, who inherited the collection from his father—a former clerk at Basra Port—donated the coins as a gift to ensure their preservation and documentation within the city’s official antiquities archive. The coins include American, Indian and Chinese currencies, reflecting Iraq’s historic trade ties through the port.
The Antiquities Inspectorate said the donation “reflects a high awareness of the importance of preserving the national legacy.”
Iraq maintains strict protections for cultural property under Antiquities and Heritage Law No. 55 of 2002, which prohibits unauthorized excavation, sale or export of antiquities and requires that discovered artifacts be reported to authorities within 24 hours.
Following the 2003 looting of the National Museum in Baghdad—which saw more than 15,000 artifacts stolen—Iraq has intensified its efforts to recover and protect its cultural heritage. In 2021, the country reclaimed about 17,000 looted artifacts from the United States, including Sumerian-era tablets dating back 4,500 years.
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