20 Kurus - Abdülmecid I Constantinople, large inscription

Abdülmecid I introduced a sweeping monetary reform in 1844 — the Tanzimat-era reorganization that created the new kurus on a decimalized basis and attempted to stabilize Ottoman coinage against decades of debasement and public mistrust. This 20 kurus piece belongs to that reformed series, struck at the Constantinople mint through the final fifteen years of his reign as the empire increasingly mortgaged itself to European creditors to fund the Crimean War and modernization projects.

The "large inscription" designation distinguishes this from a parallel variety produced concurrently — a die difference meaningful to type collectors working through KM#676 and its close relatives.