Altmislik - Abdülhamid I Kostantiniyye mint

The altmislik — a sixty-para piece — was introduced as part of the monetary reforms that followed the catastrophic financial strain of the Ottoman-Russian War of 1768–1774, a conflict that ended with the humiliating Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca. Abdülhamid I's reign inherited a treasury gutted by war indemnities and a debased coinage that had lost the confidence of both domestic markets and foreign merchants. The billon standard adopted for this denomination reflects exactly that fiscal pressure: enough silver to maintain nominal credibility, not enough to be worth hoarding.

Kostantiniyye issues from this window show considerable variation in flan preparation and strike depth, a known consequence of the Istanbul mint operating under irregular bullion supply during these years.