Turkey AH1336(1) 50 kurush
This specimen was lot 2457 in Sincona sale 59 (Zürich, October 2019), where it sold for 425 CHF (about US$515 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"OSMANISCHES REICH | Muhammad VI. 1336-1341 H./1918-1922 AD, 50 Kurush 1336 H./Jahr 1, Qustantînîya. Tughra über dem Regierungsjahr auf Lorbeerzweigen und Pfeilköchern, Münzstättenangabe und Datum des Regierungsanfangs. FDC. (Turkey, Muhammed VI, AH 1336-1341, fifty kurush of AH 1336, year 1, Constantinople mint. Obverse: toughra over regnal year in wreath and arrows; reverse: mintmark and accession date in wreath. Uncirculated.)"
This specimen is from a series struck in Istanbul during the reign of Sultan Muhammed VI (r. 1918-23), the last Ottoman sultan. This denomination was introduced during the rule of Sultan Abdul Mejid (r. 1839-61). Ottoman coins were dated using regnal years; the reverse bears the date AH 1336 (= 1918 A.D.) while the obverse bears the regnal year 1 (= 1917 A.D.). The Hejira calendar uses a lunar year instead of a solar year, so its starting date moves from year to year. This type was issued AH 1336-40 (1917-21) and is the last of the denomination. At the end of World War One, the sultan was a puppet of Ataturk and his friends, soon to be deposed.
Recorded mintage: 346.
Specification: 3.61 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 3.62 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-187 (formerly Fr-73), KM 820. Ölcer 36.031. Pere 1070. Sultan coll. 785.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Uslu, Kaan, Beyazit, M. Fatih, and Kara, Tuncay, Ottoman Empire Coins, Istanbul: Mas Matbaacilik A.S., 2007.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Sincona Auction 59: Gold and Silver Coins and Medals; Coins and Medals from Switzerland, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2019.
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