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Besparalik - Mahmud II Kostantiniyye mint
| Issuer | Ottoman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1809 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Para (1/8) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely covered by a four-line Arabic inscription arranged in horizontal registers within a beaded border, consistent with the honorific titulature of the Ottoman sultan. The legend reads 'Sultan al-Barrayn wa Khaqan al-Bahrayn al-Sultan ibn al-Sultan', meaning 'Sultan of the Two Lands and Khagan of the Two Seas, the Sultan son of the Sultan', a standard epithet used for Mahmud II. Each line of text is clearly delineated, with the calligraphy executed in a bold thuluth-influenced style typical of hammered Ottoman billon coinage. The field shows the characteristic uneven strike surface associated with the Kostantiniyye mint output of this period. |
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| Reverse lettering | سلطان البرين وخاقان البحرين السلطان ابن السلطان |
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| Additional information |
The besparalik — literally "five paras" — was introduced as part of Mahmud II's early monetary reforms, issued at a moment when Ottoman billon coinage had deteriorated so severely through successive debasements that public trust in small denominations had nearly collapsed. The Kostantiniyye mint was the empire's primary striking facility, and this issue precedes the more aggressive centralization reforms Mahmud would push through after consolidating power in the following decade.
Billon at .465 fine was already a concession to fiscal reality.