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Beşlik - Murad IV
| Issuer | Ottoman Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1623 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears a multi-line Arabic inscription arranged in horizontal registers across the field, consistent with the hammered akçe tradition. The legend records the mint epithet invoking divine perpetuation of the sultan's reign, followed by the mint name Constantinople (Kostantiniyye) and the AH regnal year 1032. The script is rendered in characteristic Ottoman sülüs calligraphy, with the text filling the irregular flan typical of hammered issues. |
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| Reverse lettering | خلد ملكه ضرب قسطنطنيه ١٠٣٢ (Translation: [May God] perpetuate his reign. Struck in Constantinople, 1032.) |
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| Additional information |
Murad IV came to power at eleven years old in 1623, with the empire effectively controlled by his mother Kösem Sultan during his early reign. The beşlik — a five-akçe piece — was among the small silver denominations keeping everyday commerce functioning during a period of severe monetary debasement, when the akçe itself had lost so much silver content that multi-akçe struck pieces became the practical unit of exchange. Murad would later reassert personal control with considerable violence, executing thousands and banning coffee and tobacco under penalty of death.