Turkey AH1293(31) 250 kurush

Sincona sale 26, lot 4280

This specimen was lot 4280 in Sincona sale 26 (Zürich, October 2015), where it sold for 1,250 CHF (about US$1,544 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"Abdul Hamid II. 1876-1909 250 Piaster Jahr 31 (1906). Gutes vorzüglich. (Sultanate of Turkey, Abdul Hamid II, 1876-1909, 250 piastres of the year 31. Good extremely fine.)"

This specimen is from a series struck in Istanbul during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid (r. 1876-1909). 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 1293 (= 1876 A.D.) while the obverse bears the regnal year 31 (= AH 1323). 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 1299-1327 (1880-1908); some dates are listed with very low mintages but the SCWC prices them all the same. The last gold 250 kurush of this size was issued in 1929, under Ataturk's Republic.

Recorded mintage: 8,552.

Specification: 18.04 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 18.00 g.

Catalog reference: KM 732, Fr-142 (formerly Fr-40).

Source:

• ^[1]Richter, Jürg, Ruedi Kunzmann and Arne Kirsch, Numismatic Coins & Medals, Auction 26, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2015.
• 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.

Link to:

• AH 1293(28) 250 kurush
• 1905 kurush
• 1905 100 kurush
• AH 1293(33) 250 kurush
• 1908 500 kurush
• 1911 50 kurush
• Coins and currency dated 1905
• return to coins of Turkey