Catalog
1 Nasri - Abdulmecid I
| Issuer | Tunis Mint (Regency of Tunis under Ottoman suzerainty) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1847-1851 |
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| Currency | Rial (1567-1891) |
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| Obverse description | Central field bearing the tughra (imperial cipher) of Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecid I, rendered in stylized Arabic calligraphy. The monogram is framed by sweeping foliate and floral arabesques extending across the field, executed in the Ottoman decorative tradition. The overall composition is densely ornamental, with the tughra serving as the focal device. No peripheral legend is present; the design relies entirely on the calligraphic and decorative elements for its visual impact. |
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| Obverse lettering | السلطان عبد المجيد خان (Translation: Sultan Abdulmecid Khan) |
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| Additional information |
The nasri series issued under Abdulmecid I reflects a peculiar administrative arrangement: Tunis operated its own mint and issued its own coinage, yet nominally remained under Ottoman suzerainty throughout this period. The beys of Tunis had wielded effective autonomy for generations, and coinage was one of the more visible expressions of that practical independence — issued in the name of the Ottoman sultan but produced entirely under Husainid direction.
These copper fractionals circulated heavily in the Tunisian interior during a period when the Fundamental Pact of 1857 was still years away, and Ahmad Bey's military and administrative reforms were straining the beylik's finances considerably.