Ottoman Empire Abdülaziz 500 Kuruş

History

500 Kuruş 1861-1872, KM# 698, Ottoman Empire, Abdülaziz

Obverse. Photo © Numismatic Guaranty Company

Description

Abdülaziz (1830–1876) was the 32nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and reigned between 25 June 1861 and 30 May 1876. He was the first Ottoman Sultan who travelled to Western Europe, visiting a number of important European capitals including Paris, London and Vienna in the summer of 1867.

Apart from his passion for the Ottoman Navy, which had the world's third largest fleet in 1875 (after the British and French navies), the Sultan took an interest in documenting the Ottoman Empire. He was also interested in literature and was a talented classical music composer. He was deposed on grounds of mismanaging the Ottoman economy on 30 May 1876, and was found dead six days later under unnatural and mysterious circumstances.

Obverse	Military Quiver, Arrow Monogram, signature Tughra Depicts a tughra in Abdülaziz name beneath stars and above regnal year (the year of the Sultans accession) below, wreath (quiver with arrows), and value. A tughra (Ottoman Turkish: طغرا‎ tuğrâ) is a calligraphic monogram, seal or signature of a sultan that was affixed to all official documents and correspondence. It was also carved on his seal and stamped on the coins minted during his reign. Tughras served a purpose similar to the cartouche in ancient Egypt or the Royal Cypher of British monarchs, every Ottoman sultan had his own individual tughra. ١٠ سنة ٥٠٠
Reverse	Depicts legends "May he be victorious" and "Struck in Constantinople" beneath a star within a wreath, fixed date (1277) below. The date of the accession is accepted as the first year and is called "cülüs". The issuing date is a sum of the accession and regnal years minus 1. عز نصره ضرب في قسطنطينية ١٢٧٧
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