Crimea AH 1191/5 beshlik
This specimen was lot 31639 in Heritage sale 3064 (Chicago, April 2018), where it sold for $5,280. The catalog description[1] noted, "Crimea. Shahin Giray bin Ahmad Giray Beshlyk AH 1191//5 (1782) XF45 NGC, Bagchih-Serai mint, A very rare Crimean offering, this charming piece yields an attractive tone and fairly sharp strike for issue. A type scarcely encountered, the present example, in the opinion of this cataloger, far exceeds the quality of the Sincona specimen, which realized a hammer of over $12,000 in 2013. A light degree of lamination is noted on the reverse for completeness." The Crimea, long a tributary of the Ottomans, was conquered and annexed by the forces of Catherine the Great in 1782. This beshlik was accounted equal to a polushka (¼ kopek). Gold coins exist for this ruler but are very rare.
Recorded mintage: unknown but scarce.
Specification: 1.5 g, billon.
Catalog reference: KM 48 (date unlisted), Bit-20 (R3).
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach and Warren Tucker, Heritage World Coin Auction 3064, featuring the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
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