Turkey AH 1277(4) 40 para
This specimen was lot 52636 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Pittsburgh, PA, August 2023), where it sold for $600. The catalog description[1] noted, "TURKEY. Ottoman Empire. 40 Para, AH 1277 Year 4 (1864). Abdul Aziz. PCGS PROOF-62 Brown. A most beautiful proof issue, the present example appears to be quite RARE, with proofs being unrecorded for the date. The devices are crisply defined, and soft orange color is seen throughout. A piece fully deserved of much attention from any specialist in Ottoman coinage." This specimen is from a series struck in Istanbul during the reign of Sultan Abdul Aziz (r. 1861-1876). Ottoman coins were dated using regnal years; the reverse bears the date AH 1277 (= 1861 A.D.) while the obverse bears the regnal year 4. 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 one year only.
Recorded mintage: 2,000,000.
Specification: copper.
Catalog reference: KM-702.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Uslu, Kaan, Beyazit, M. Fatih, and Kara, Tuncay. Ottoman Empire Coins, Istanbul: Mas Matbaacilik A.S., 2007.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2023 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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