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Shahi - Murad III Basra
| Issuer | Ottoman Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1575 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Reverse description | Central field bearing a multi-line Arabic mint and date legend disposed within an open field without cartouche border. The upper line contains the word 'ضرب' (struck), followed by 'في' (in) and 'البصرة' (Basra), with the AH regnal year '٩٨٢' appearing at the base. The script is rendered in a bold, somewhat compressed naskh hand consistent with provincial Ottoman die-cutting practice. The irregular flan edges show typical hammered-planchet characteristics with slight metal flow at the periphery. The overall design is austere and functional, reflecting the utilitarian character of Ottoman provincial silver coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Murad III's accession in 1574 brought immediate fiscal pressure: his father Selim II had left the treasury strained from the Cyprus campaign, and the new sultan faced mounting costs across the eastern frontier. The Basra mint, operating under Ottoman control since 1546, served the Gulf trade routes rather than imperial prestige — its output was functional currency for a commercially active region where Persian and Indian coin standards competed directly with Ottoman issues.
The Shahi denomination itself derives from Safavid monetary terminology, a pointed irony given the sustained Ottoman-Safavid rivalry over Mesopotamia throughout this period.