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25 Kurus - Abdülhamid II Constantinople
| Issuer | Ottoman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1876-1881 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.80 g |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the imperial tughra of Sultan Abdülhamid II, an elaborate calligraphic monogram in Arabic script, executed in fine relief. The tughra is flanked on either side by olive and laurel branches forming a wreath, tied at the base. A row of six-pointed stars arcs across the upper periphery of the coin, framing the design. The regnal year indicator appears within the field below the tughra. The overall style reflects the refined Ottoman gold coinage tradition of the late 19th century. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a four-line Arabic inscription in the central field, arranged horizontally within a beaded inner circle. The legend records the mint epithet, the mint city of Constantinople, and the AH accession year 1293. Olive and laurel branches frame the inscription on either side, mirroring the obverse wreath design. The peripheral border is defined by a fine toothed rim. The overall composition is characteristic of Ottoman gold coinage of the reign of Abdülhamid II. |
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| Additional information |
Abdülhamid II's accession in 1876 coincided almost immediately with the catastrophic Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, which stripped the empire of roughly one-third of its remaining European territory and left the treasury effectively bankrupt. The smaller gold denominations issued across his first regnal years circulated against a backdrop of suspended debt payments and the empire's formal default to European creditors in 1876 — the same year this type was introduced.
The regnal year on these pieces follows the Ottoman accession-year dating system, so examples from the early emission years are generally scarcer than later dates in the run.