Mahmud II's reign saw the destruction of the Janissary corps in 1826 — the so-called "Auspicious Incident" — followed almost immediately by a sweeping military and administrative reorganization that strained Ottoman finances badly. The billon coinage of this period reflects that pressure directly: silver content was repeatedly debased as the treasury struggled to fund both the new Nizam-ı Cedid-style army and ongoing wars with Russia.
At 0.1 grams, these were among the smallest coins the Kostantiniyye mint produced, and survivors in any condition above heavily worn are scarce simply because the coins were too light to handle without loss.
Mahmud II's reign saw the destruction of the Janissary corps in 1826 — the so-called "Auspicious Incident" — followed almost immediately by a sweeping military and administrative reorganization that strained Ottoman finances badly. The billon coinage of this period reflects that pressure directly: silver content was repeatedly debased as the treasury struggled to fund both the new Nizam-ı Cedid-style army and ongoing wars with Russia.
At 0.1 grams, these were among the smallest coins the Kostantiniyye mint produced, and survivors in any condition above heavily worn are scarce simply because the coins were too light to handle without loss.