The Ottoman Empire was founded in 1299. Continuous wars with neighbors, seizures of new territories with the subordination of entire peoples, flexible diplomacy with leading world powers - all this allowed the Ottoman Empire to become one of the most powerful states in the world by the 17th century. This review will focus on coins of the late Ottoman Empire and coins of some states that gained independence after its collapse in 1922.
Ottoman Empire
So the oldest coin in my collection.
KM # 653, 20 pair 1840 (1255/2), billon, years 1839-1843
The coin of the second year of the reign of Sultan Abdul-Majid, the inspirer of the Tanzimat reforms and the first Ottoman constitution, which displeased the Islamic clergy in connection with some contradictions with the canons of Sharia. Abdul-Majid laid the foundation for a methodical, gradual transition from an Islamic state to European principles of building power.
KM # 672, 2 kurusha 1853 (1255/14), silver 0.830, 280 thousand exes, years of production 1846-1860
Sultan Abdul Majid (reigned 1839-1861, life years 1823-1861)
In 1861, Sultan Abdul-Majid dies of tuberculosis and is replaced on the throne by his brother Abdul-Aziz. In the process of revising the principles of the formation of my collection, I gradually got rid of the coins of the period of his reign. Moreover, coppers were produced for a long time in huge quantities and it is not difficult to find them on sale for little money in decent condition.
Sultan Abdul Aziz (reign 1861-1876, life 1830-1876)
In 1876, Sultan Abdul-Aziz cuts his veins. This happened after he renounced power in favor of his nephew. However, the nephew Mehmed Murad did not rule for long - three months, and did not have time to issue his coins. On the throne in the same 1876 he was replaced by Sultan Abdul-Hamid II - the second son of Abdul-Majid.
Sultan Abdul-Hamid II (reign 1876-1909, life years 1842-1918)
The first issue of coins consisted of bronze 5 pairs, silver 20 pairs, 1, 5, 10 and 20 kurush. The line was produced from 1876 to 1879.
In 1882, coins were issued in an updated design. The second line included 5 and 10 pairs of low-grade silver, 1, 2, 5 and 10 kurush of 830 silver.
KM # 743, 5 pair 1899 (1293/25), billon 0.100, years of manufacture 1899-1904
KM # 744, 10 pair 1900 (1293/26), billon 0.100, years of manufacture 1899-1904
KM # 735, 1 kurush 1902 (1293/28), silver 0.830, 16.1 million ex. years 1882-1908
KM # 736, 2 kurusha 1898 (1293/24), silver 0.830, 1.5 million exes, production years 1882-1908
KM # 738, 10 kurushi 1907 (1293/33), silver 0.830, 274 thousand exes, production years 1886-1907
The pair is one of the oldest monetary units of the Ottoman Empire, which was first put into circulation in 1623 in the form of a silver 520 coin weighing 1.1 grams. Over the centuries, its weight and sample decreased .
Kurush is a silver coin first minted by Sultan Suleiman II in 1687 to replace the Austrian thalers in circulation. The weight of the first kurush was 19.24 grams, diameter 40 mm. and it consisted of 40 pairs. Over time, the weight and sample either increased or decreased.
The lira is an Ottoman gold coin, introduced in 1844, and became the oldest monetary unit in the Ottoman Empire (1 lira=100 kurushi=4000 pairs).
In 1909, after a military coup, Sultan Mehmed V, the brother of the deposed Sultan Abdul-Hamid II, ascended the Ottoman throne. Sultan Mehmed V is the one in whose reign the Ottoman Empire entered the First World War and was defeated by the Entente bloc.
Sultan Mehmed V (reigned 1909-1918, life years 1844-1918)
Mehmed V changed the tradition of issuing a pair on silver blanks. In the first line, in 1909 they were released first on nickel, and then in 1916 on copper-nickel blanks.
In the period from 1909 to 1915, coins were issued with the inscription "Reshat" (Next on the true path) to the right of the Sultan's tugra.
KM # 759, 5 pair 1912 (1327/4), nickel, 21.4 million equivalent, years of production 1910-1915
KM # 760, 10 pair 1915 (1327/7), nickel, 21.7 million equivalent, years of production 1910-1915
KM # 761, 20 pair 1911 (1327/3), nickel, 11.4 million equivalent, years 1909-1915
KM # 766, 40 pair 1911 (1327/4), nickel, 8.7 million equivalent, years 1910-1912
KM # 748, 1 kurush 1910 (1327/2), silver 0.830, years 1909-1911
KM # 749, 2 kurusha 1910 (1327/2), silver 0.830, years 1909-1914
KM # 750, 5 kurushi 1910 (1327/2), silver 0.830, 1.9 million ex. years 1909-1915
After the stunning victory of the Turkish troops in the Battle of Dardanelles over the combined group of Anglo-French-Australian-New Zealand troops in 1915, Mehmed V Reshat added the title "Victorious" (El Ghazi ) to his name, in connection with which coins were issued with an updated legend. A coin in denomination of 20 pairs is considered rare.
KM # 767, 5 pair of 1915 (1327/7), nickel, 740 kEq, single year of manufacture
KM # 768, 10 para 1915 (1327/7), nickel, years 1915,1916
KM # 779, 40 pair 1916 (1327/8), copper-nickel alloy, 16.3 million equivalent, years of manufacture 1916.1917
Another son of Sultan Abdul-Majid - Mehmed VI ascended the throne in 1918, when the outcome of the war was already a foregone conclusion.
Sultan Mehmed VI (reigned 1918-1922, life years 1861-1926)
The only coin available for ordinary collectors at the bottom . The rest, silver curushi were released in meager editions and are not cheap.
KM # 828, 40 pair 1920 (1336/4), nickel, 6.5 million equivalent, single year of manufacture
In 1922, the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire left the country . The state that dominated the region for more than 600 years ceased to exist and disintegrated into several "independent" countries : the Turkish Republic, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Mesopotamia (Iraq), Palestine, Transjordan (Jordan), Nejd and Hijaz (Saudi Arabia), Yemen, Transcaucasian states and many other territories. "Independent" is deliberately put in quotation marks, since most of the former territories of the Ottoman Empire took control of the victorious countries.
In addition to the countries geographically located in Asia, the Ottoman Empire in the late XIX - early XX centuries included several countries of the European continent, including those with a Christian population. These states at different times, for various reasons, seceded from the Empire and declared their independence: Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Cyprus, Crete, Montenegro. Albania stands out from this list - a state with a predominantly Muslim population. This review will present only those states that issued their coins between the First and Second World Wars.
Republic of Turkey
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938)
Mustafa Kemal, who led the liberation movement "Great National Assembly of Turkey" against the British occupying Turkey, laid the foundations of a new, pro-European state . At the bottom of the coins of the first, republican issue of 1921-1922. Dating back to Hijra.
KM # 830, 100 pairs, 1922, aluminum-bronze alloy, 5.6 million equivalent, years of manufacture 1921,1922
KM # 831, 5 kurush, 1922, aluminum-bronze alloy, 23.5 million equivalent, years of manufacture 1921,1922
KM # 832, 10 kurush 1922, aluminum-bronze alloy, 14.2 million equivalent, years of manufacture 1921,1922
KM # 833, 25 kurush 1922, nickel, 5.8 million equivalent, years of manufacture 1926.1928
The next issue of coins in 1926 and 1928 indicated changes in the direction of movement of the country - the date of issue is already indicated from the Nativity of Christ, but still in Arabic numbers.
KM # 834, 100 steam 1926, aluminum-bronze alloy, 4.4 MM equivalent, years of manufacture 1926.1928
KM # 835, 5 kurush 1926, aluminum-bronze alloy, 356 thousand equivalent, years of manufacture 1926.1928
KM # 836, 10 kurush 1926, aluminum-bronze alloy, 856 thousand equivalent, production years 1926.1928
KM # 837, 25 kurush 1928, nickel, 5.8 million equivalent, years of manufacture 1926.1928
And finally, in 1934, after the monetary reform, the coins acquired a completely "European" look. The Arabic script disappeared from the coins, all inscriptions were made only in Latin letters and numbers, with European dating of the chronology, and for the first time the profile of Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) was depicted on coins in denominations of 1 lira, which contradicted the Quran.
KM # 868, 10 pair 1940, aluminum-bronze alloy, 30 million equivalent, production years 1940-1942
KM # 861, 1 kurush 1936, copper-nickel alloy, 5.3 million equivalent, production years 1935-1937
KM # 867, 1 kurush 1943, copper-nickel alloy, 4 million equivalent, production years 1938-1944
KM # 862, 5 kurush 1936, copper-nickel alloy, 2.9 million equivalent, production years 1935-1943
KM # 863, 10 kurush 1939, copper-nickel alloy, 4.6 million equivalent, production years 1935-1940
KM # 864, 25 kurush 1937, silver 0.830, 8.5 million equivalent, years of manufacture 1935-1937
KM # 880, 25 kurush 1945, nickel-bronze alloy, 5.3 million equivalent, production years 1944-1946
KM # 865, 50 kurush 1936, silver 0.830, 5.1 million ex. years of production 1935-1937
Iraq
At the beginning of World War I, in 1914 , British troops invaded Iraq and by the end of the war had completely occupied it. Ottoman coins were banned from circulation, and as the main means of payment they were replaced by the Indian rupee. After the San Remo conference, the mandate to govern these territories went to Great Britain. In 1921, Iraq became a Kingdom ruled by Great Britain by mandate. After the expiration of the mandate in 1932, Iraq gains independence. The Kingdom Law No. 44 of 1931, to form its own independent means of payment, created a national monetary committee, which lasted until 1947. In 1932, the Kingdom issued the first line of exchange rate coins, which were exchanged at the rate of 13-1/3 Indian rupees for one Iraqi dinar .
King Faisal I ibn Hussein of Iraq (reigned 1921-1933, lived 1883-1933)
The line of coins of the first king of Iraq, Faisal I (the failed king of the Syrian Arab kingdom). Coins were issued twice: in 1931 and 1933.
KM # 95, 1 fils 1933, bronze, 6 M ex. years 1931,1933
KM # 96, 2 fils 1931, bronze, 2.5 M ex. years of manufacture 1931,1933
KM # 97, 4 fils 1931, nickel, 4.5 M ex, years of manufacture 1931,1933
KM # 98, 10 fils 1931, nickel, 2.4 M ex. years 1931,1933
KM # 99, 20 fils 1931, silver 0.500, 1.5 M ex, years of manufacture 1931,1933
KM # 100, 50 fils 1931, silver 0.500, 8.8 M ex, years of manufacture 1931,1933
King Ghazi I ibn Faisal of Iraq (reigned 1933-1939, lived 1912-1939)
In 1933, after the death of Faisal I, his son Gazi I ascended the throne, who ruled the Kingdom of Iraq until 1939.
KM # 102, 1 fils 1938, bronze, 36 M ex. years 1936,1938
KM # 105, 4 fils 1938, nickel, 1 M ex. years 1938,1939
KM # 105b, 4 fils 1938, bronze, 8 M ex, single year of manufacture
KM # 103a, 10 fils 1938, copper-nickel alloy, 1.1 M equivalent, single year of manufacture
KM # 103b, 10 fils 1938, bronze, 8.3 M ex, single year of manufacture
KM # 106, 20 fils 1938, silver 0.500, only year of manufacture
KM # 104, 50 fils 1938, silver 0.500, years of manufacture 1937,1938
The death of Gazi I in a mysterious car accident elevated his four-year-old son, Faisal II, to the throne.
King Faisal II bin Ghazi of Iraq (reigned 1939-1958, lived 1935-1958)
Faisal received the Iraqi throne at the age of 4. The regent of the young king was appointed his uncle - Emir Abd al-Ilah . On his first coins, issued in 1943 , Faisal is depicted at the age of 8.
KM # 107, 4 fils 1943, bronze, 1.5 MMex. only year of production
KM # 108, 10 fils 1943, bronze, 1.5 million copies, only year of production
King Faisal II bin Ghazi of Iraq, 1942.
Only with adulthood, in 1953 , Faisal II independently began to rule the country. At the same time, a second line of coins with its profile was released. The assassination of the king in the revolutionary rebellion of 1958 ended the monarchy in Iraq.
Palestine
Another territory received external control of Britain under a mandate issued by the League of Nations. In 1921, most of the territory of Palestine was allocated to create the emirate of Transjordan (Kingdom of Jordan at present). In the remaining territory, according to the declaration of Balfour, a Jewish state gradually began to be created. The Jewish population constantly arriving in the first half of the 20th century from European states significantly increased the ratio of the Jewish population to the Arab. The multinationality of Palestine is also indicated by inscriptions on coins in three languages, including English. Coins of the British Administration were issued in Palestine from 1927 to 1947, until the founding of the Jewish state of Israel.
KM # 1, 1 mil 1942, bronze, 4.5 M ex. years 1927-1944
KM # 2, 2 mils 1941, bronze, 1.6 million exs. years of production 1927-1945
KM # 3, 5 mils 1927, copper-nickel alloy, 10 million equivalent, production years 1927-1941
KM # 4, 10 mils 1940, copper-nickel alloy, 1.5 million exes, production years 1927-1942
KM # 5, 20 mils 1935, copper-nickel alloy, 575 thousand equivalent, production years 1927-1941
KM # 3a, 5 mils 1942, bronze, 2.7 M ex. years 1942,1944
KM # 4a, 10 mils 1943, bronze, 1 million ex. years 1942,1943
KM # 5a, 20 mils 1942, bronze, 1.1 M ex. years 1942,1944
KM # 6, 50 mils 1935, silver 0.720, 5.6 M ex, years 1927-1942
KM # 7, 100 mils 1933, silver 0.720, 500 thousand exs. years of production 1927-1942
Albania
I represent several coins issued during the Kingdom period before the Italian occupation (1926-1939).
The first king of Albania, Zogu I Skanderbeg III/Ahmet Zogu (reign 1928-1939, life years 1895-1961)
Albania's independence from the Ottoman Empire was recognized by the major world powers in 1912. The first issue of coins took place in February 1926. Coins were called kindar (from Albanian qindar - the hundredth part of something), lek (from the Albanian abbreviation "lek " named after Alexander the Great) and frang ar (frang ar - in Albanian gold franc).
1 frang ar=5 lek=100 kindar ar=500 kindar lek.
KM # 3 , ¼ leka 1926, nickel, 506 thousand equivalent, only year of manufacture
KM # 4 , ½ leka 1926, nickel, 1 million ex. only year of manufacture
KM # 13 , ½ leka 1930, nickel, 500 thousand equivalent, production years 1930-1931
KM # 5, 1 lek 1926, nickel, 500 thousand equivalent, production years 1926-1931
Pr # 22, 5 frang ar 1927, silver, 675 copies (proof coin)
In 1935, the line of negotiable coins was supplemented with denominations of 1 kindar ar (5 kindar lek), 2 kindar ar (10 kindar lek), 1 and 2 frang ar with the profile of King Zog.
KM # 14, 1 Kindar ar 1935, Bronze, 2 MM Ex., Single Year of Manufacture
KM # 15, 2 kindar ar 1935, bronze, 1.5 MMex. only year of production
KM # 16, 1 franc ar 1935, silver 0.835, 700 thousand copies, years of production 1935, 1937
In 1937, the Albanian Kingdom, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of independence, issued two jubilee coins in denominations of 1 and 2 frang ar.
KM # 18, 1 franc ar 1937 "25th Anniversary of Independence," silver 0.835, 50 thousand copies, only year of production
Unstable power in Albania, the aggressive policies of the Italian fascists led by Benito Mussolini towards weak neighbors and territorial proximity to Italy (through the Otranto Strait) led to the occupation of Albania by the Italian Kingdom, which lasted from 1939 to 1943.