Coins From Afghanistan

Yes and no. I have quite a few older (19th century and back) coins and they are very collectible (the copper ones just as much as the silver) but Afghanistan is a notorious hotbed of fake coins - so you would need to be extra careful.

Yes, I'm Army.

I travelled to Afganistan way back in 1970, helping to drive a double deck bus from India to Europe.

My advice re numismatics is to collect coins in as best condition as possible from all periods in Afganistan's very long and fasicanting numismatic history, which extends back before the time of Alexander the Great. You will only have one chance in a lifetime to do this. Only problem is: it is very easy to get ripped off. Even then, people had to live off their wits.

So as a very secondary requirement, you will only have one chance in a lifetime to get some very interesting mementos. No need for me to tell you that Afganistan is a much more dangerous place than when I was there in 1970. Personal safety is very much the primary requirement.

Take all the advice you can from your superiors regarding your own safety when out and about when looking for something to buy from the locals. I never had to deal with bombings shootings and kidnappings. Even so, Afganistan was a pretty hairy place way back in 1970, when it was supposed to be peaceful. I even saw tribesmen with notches on the butts of their rifles scoring the number of people thay had killed. Nevertheless, Afganistan is one of the most interesting Countries I have ever visited.