Obverse. Photo © Heritage Auctions
  • 1 Para 1703, KM# 68, Egypt, Eyalet / Khedivate, Ahmed III
  • 1 Para 1703, KM# 68, Egypt, Eyalet / Khedivate, Ahmed III
Description

Ahmed III (1673–1736) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a son of Sultan Mehmed IV (r. 1648–1687). His mother was Gülnuş Sultan, originally named Evmenia Voria, who was an ethnic Greek. He succeeded to the throne in 1703 on the abdication of his brother Mustafa II (1695–1703). Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Pasha and the Sultan's daughter, Fatma Sultan (wife of the former) directed the government from 1718 to 1730, a period referred to as the Tulip Era.

The Eyalet of Egypt operated as an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire from 1517 to 1867. It originated as a result of the conquest of Mamluk Egypt by the Ottomans in 1517, following the Ottoman–Mamluk War (1516–17) and the absorption of Syria into the Empire in 1516. Egypt always proved a difficult province for the Ottoman Sultans to control, due in part to the continuing power and influence of the Mamluks, the Egyptian military caste who had ruled the country for centuries.

Obverse

Tughra in Ahmed III name, "Ahmed Khan son of Mehmed (IV) is forever victorious".

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.

سلطان احمد خان بن محمد مظفر دائما

Reverse

Arabic legend with the year of the Sultan's reign on top and Ottoman Turkish legend "Struck in Egypt" and the accession year in Hejira (AH1115) below with "azz nassroh" (May he be victorious) above.

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
مصر
سنة
١١١٥

Edge
Characteristics
Material Silver
Weight 0.57 g
Diameter 17 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Misr Mint

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