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1/2 Zer-i Mahbub I.Abdülhamid, İslambol
| Issuer | Ottoman Imperial Mint (Darphane-i Amire) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1773 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.25 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is divided into three horizontal registers of bold Arabic calligraphic inscription filling the entire field. The uppermost register bears the opening of the royal titulature; the middle register continues the honorific epithets; and the lowest register completes the dynastic formula. The full legend proclaims Sultan Abdülhamid I as 'Sultan of the two continents and Khan of the two seas, the Sultan son of the Sultan,' asserting his sovereignty over both land and sea in the traditional Ottoman imperial style. The reeded edge frames the design, and a suspension hole is visible at the upper left, consistent with the obverse. The flat, text-only reverse is characteristic of Ottoman gold Zeri Mahbub coinage of the late 18th century. |
| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
The Zer-i Mahbub — "beloved gold" — was introduced in the Ottoman monetary system as a response to the flood of debased European ducats circulating in Levantine trade, particularly the imitation ducats struck by Venice and the Dutch Republic that had saturated eastern Mediterranean markets by the mid-eighteenth century. Abdülhamid I came to the throne in 1774, so this half-piece dates to the very final months of Mustafa III's reign, making the regnal attribution worth scrutinizing against the Damali reference.