Cairo Airport Customs today foiled a smuggling attempt of 20 authentic coins dating to different Islamic and modern periods, including the era of Mohammed Ali.

Ahmed El-Rawi, head of the Archaeological Unit for Ports, told Ahram Oline that the coins were found in the luggage of a Sudanese citizen who was on his way to New Zealand. The coins were probably stolen from the Museum of Islamic Art, which was badly damaged in a car bomb attack on the nearby Cairo Security Directorate headquarters in January.

The recovered coins, El-Rawi explained, include 11 from the 1200 to 1277 of Higra, decorated with Arabic text, and seven dated to the reign of Sultan Hassan Kamil, decorated with foliage on one side.

Two coins from the reigns of kings Fouad and Farouk are also among those recovered.

All the coins will be restored and studies, in order to be put on display at the temporary exhibition of recovered artefacts at the Egyptian Museum.