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500 Kurus - Abdülaziz Constantinople
| Issuer | Ottoman Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1861-1872 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by the elaborate calligraphic toughra of Sultan Abdülaziz, rendered in fine relief. Seven five-pointed stars are arrayed in an arc above the toughra across the upper field. The denomination numeral '500' appears at the base of the design, flanked by a wreath of olive and laurel branches tied with a ribbon at the foot, with military trophies at the center base. The regnal year numeral appears just below the toughra within the wreath. A fine milled border frames the entire design. |
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| Mintage | 1277 (1861) 1 - ١٢٧٧//١ - 3,180 1277 (1863) 3 - ١٢٧٧//٣ - 1,580 1277 (1865) 5 - ١٢٧٧//٥ - 1277 (1867) 7 - ١٢٧٧//٧ - 21,000 1277 (1868) 8 - ١٢٧٧//٨ - 71,000 1277 (1869) 9 - ١٢٧٧//٩ - 74,000 1277 (1870) 10 - ١٢٧٧//١٠ - 30,000 1277 (1870) 11 - ١٢٧٧//١١ - 36,000 1277 (1872) 13 - ١٢٧٧//١٣ - 59,000 |
| Additional information |
Abdülaziz came to the throne in 1861 inheriting an empire already deep in debt from Crimean War borrowing, and his reign only accelerated the financial deterioration — the Ottoman state would formally default in 1875, three years after this issue ceased. The 500 kuruş represented the highest denomination gold coin in regular Ottoman production, struck at the Constantinople mint during a period when Western creditors were watching imperial finances with increasing alarm.
KM#698 is known with tughra variants across the reign, and collectors distinguish early from late strikes accordingly.