Two oxen pull a plough beneath a call to produce more: the 1972 50 ghirsh joined a political anniversary to the food programme of the FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It is a large-module coin on which the ploughing scene reads in full detail.

The obverse commemorates the third anniversary of the 25 May Revolution, the official name in Sudan for the events of May 1969 after which the country became the Democratic Republic of the Sudan. It carries the arms, an Arabic legend naming the anniversary and the state, and the double date 1392 AH and 1972. The reverse shows the ploughing team moving right, with the value and the slogan on increasing production.

The coin was issued for circulation with a mintage of 1,000,000. Two varieties of the type are known, differing in the size of the reverse design, so it is worth checking a piece against the catalogue. It remained legal tender until 8 June 1992, when the dinar replaced the first Sudanese pound.

AU-UNC grade: no wear or only the slightest, with the relief of the oxen and plough still sharp. The coin belongs in a topical FAO collection, a set on agriculture on coins and the run of Sudanese commemoratives of the 1970s.

If you collect coins by country or by theme, take a look at the VPcoins catalogue: it is a convenient place to find the neighbouring pieces of a series.