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5 Kuruş
| Issuer | Banque Impériale Ottomane |
|---|---|
| Year | 1876-1878 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Kuruş |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse, printed in black on plain cream paper, presents a circular coin-like vignette at the upper centre engraved with Ottoman Arabic script. Below, a rectangular registration stamp reads 'Enregistré Par la BANQUE IMPÉRIALE OTTOMANE' with a hand-stamped serial number and the inscription 'CONSTANTINOPLE 1876', serving as the bank's authenticating cachet on this otherwise unadorned side. |
| Reverse lettering | Enregistré Par la BANQUE IMPÉRIALE OTTOMANE CONSTANTINOPLE 1876 |
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| Comments |
The Banque Impériale Ottomane issued this fractional note during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, when the empire suspended silver coin payments and flooded circulation with small-denomination paper to fill the gap. Five kuruş notes were deeply unpopular — Ottoman urban populations had a longstanding distrust of paper at low denominations, and the wartime political instability did nothing to encourage confidence.
The bank stamp as the sole security feature reflects the rushed, emergency nature of the issue rather than any established printing protocol. Constantinople production kept distribution centralized, but counterfeiting of these low-value notes was a known problem throughout the issue's short life.