Obverse. Photo © Heritage Auctions
  • 1 Medin 1622, KM# 26, Egypt, Eyalet / Khedivate, Mustafa I the Mad
  • 1 Medin 1622, KM# 26, Egypt, Eyalet / Khedivate, Mustafa I the Mad
Description

Mustafa I (c. 1600 – 1639), called Mustafa the Saint (Veli Mustafa) during his second reign, and often called Mustafa the Mad (Deli Mustafa) by historians, was the son of Sultan Mehmed III and Halime Sultan. He was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 22 November 1617 to 26 February 1618, and from 20 May 1622 to 10 September 1623. A man of weak mental faculties who was deposed from the throne in 1618 but was reinstalled in 1622 by the Janissaries (elite troops), who dethroned Osman II.

Mustafa’s reign, under the influence of his mother, witnessed continuous interference of the Janissaries in the administration and a revolt in Anatolia of Abaza Mehmed Paşa, who sought to avenge Osman II’s death.

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.

Weight varies: 0.80-0.96 g

Obverse

Tughra in Mustafa I name, "Sultan Mustafa I ibn Mehmed III Khan".

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 مصطفى بن محمد خان

Reverse

Arabic legend and Ottoman Turkish legend "Struck in Egypt" and the accession year in Hejira (AH1031) below, with "az 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
١٠٣١

Edge

1 Medin

Eyalet
KM# 26 Album# 1367
Characteristics
Production Hammering
Material Silver
Weight 0.8 g
Diameter 14 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Mint
Misr Mint

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