Turkey AH 1187(1) zeri mahbub
This specimen was lot 75750 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2022), where it sold for $660. The catalog description[1] noted, "TURKEY. Zeri Mahbub, AH 1187 Year 1 (1774). Istanbul Mint. Abdul Hamid I. PCGS MS-65. A spectacular offering of this normally low grade Gold type. A sparkling gem with seemingly unending luster. Worthy of a premium bid." This type is listed fairly inexpensively in the SCWC for year 1 thru 15. However, the vast majority of survivors have been removed from jewelry. The Hejira calendar uses a lunar year instead of a solar year, so its starting date moves from year to year. The gold was the victim of frequent manipulation and the denominations changed names in a confusing manner. The SCWC lists zeri mahbubs, rumi altins, adli altins, yeni altins and hayriye altins for this period. Matters were regularized in the reign of Abdul Mejid, with gold coins issued in multiples of the kuruş.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 2.6 g, gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-7; KM-416.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Uslu, Kaan, Beyazit, M. Fatih, and Kara, Tuncay, Ottoman Empire Coins 1687-1839 (AH 1099-1255), Istanbul: Anka Matbaacilik, 2010.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The November 2022 Collectors Choice Ancient & World Coins Auction, Featuring the Pat Johnson Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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