Item number: A4635

Reference number: KM#698

Year: AD 1868

Material: Gold (.917)

Size: 32.5 x 32.5 mm

Weight: 30.0800 g

Manufactured by: Darpane-i Amire, Topkapi Palace

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2025

This is a gold coin with a denomination of 500 Kurush, issued by the Ottoman Empire in AD 1868.

The obverse features the central tughra (calligraphic monogram) of the then-reigning Ottoman Sultan, Abdulaziz I, which reads “عبد العزيز خان بن محمود، المظفر دائماً” (Abdulaziz Khan bin Mahmud, el-muzaffer daima), meaning “The Victorious Always, Abdulaziz Khan, son of Mahmud.” Positioned at the lower edge is “سنة ٨” (sanat 8), representing “Year 8,” signifying the eighth year of the monarch’s reign. Above the tughra is a semi-circle of seven five-pointed stars, while the lower section is enclosed by a laurel wreath. At the intersection of the two laurel branches lies an object resembling a quiver. The periphery of the coin features an inward-facing denticulated border designed to protect the numismatic imagery.

On the reverse, the upper central portion bears the inscription “عز نصره” (azza nasrahu), meaning “May God grant him victory.” Below this are two lines, “ضرب في” (darb fi) and “قسطنطينية” (Kostantiniyya), indicating “Minted in Constantinople.” At the base is the accession year of the sovereign, “١٢٧٧” (1277 AH), which corresponds to AD 1861. The central text is encircled by a laurel wreath, with a five-pointed star positioned between the tips of the upper branches.

Abdulaziz, the son of Sultan Mahmud II, ascended to the Ottoman throne in AD 1861 following the death of his brother, Abdulmejid I. At the onset of his reign, he exhibited a distinct air of frugality compared to his predecessor, issuing edicts promising to streamline administrative procedures and reduce the court budget. He not only disbanded the vast harem left by his brother but also sent a significant quantity of palatial gold and silver plate to the mint to be melted down for fiscal support. Administratively, he relied heavily on enlightened bureaucrats Fuad Pasha and Ali Pasha, dedicating himself to the promotion of the Tanzimat reforms. In AD 1867, at the invitation of Napoleon III, Abdulaziz visited Paris for the Exposition Universelle, subsequently travelling to London and Vienna. This made him the first Ottoman monarch to visit Western Europe during peacetime, during which he displayed a profound interest in Western industrial technology. Upon his return, he facilitated the compilation of the first Ottoman Civil Code (Mecelle) and established Galatasaray High School in AD 1868 to promote French-style secular education.

However, his pursuit of naval supremacy bordered on the obsessive; he invested colossal sums to order the most advanced ironclad warships of the era from Britain and France, briefly elevating the Ottoman Navy to the third largest in the world by the AD 1870s. This expenditure resulted in a catastrophic fiscal burden. Following the death of Ali Pasha in AD 1871, Abdulaziz gradually reclaimed absolute power and shifted towards autocracy, commissioning the construction of the opulent Beylerbeyi and Çırağan Palaces, which exacerbated the national deficit. In AD 1875, the empire faced financial collapse due to the Herzegovina Uprising in the Balkans and a severe drought, leading to a declared default on foreign debt interest and a total loss of international credit. In May AD 1876, amidst demonstrations by the softas (theological students) and a conspiracy orchestrated by Midhat Pasha, he was deposed at Dolmabahçe Palace. Immediately imprisoned, he was found dead on 4 June AD 1876, with the arteries of his wrists severed by scissors.

物件編號: A4635

參考書目編號: KM#698

年代: 公元 1868 年

材質: 黃金 (.917)

尺寸: 32.5 x 32.5 mm

重量: 30.0800 g

製造地: 皇家造幣廠，托普卡匹宮

來源: 福君錢幣 2025

這是一枚公元1868年，鄂圖曼土耳其帝國發行之面額500庫魯什的金幣。

錢幣正面中央是時任鄂圖曼土耳其帝國蘇丹的阿卜杜勒-阿齊茲一世的花押「عبد العزيز خان بن محمود، المظفر دائماً」(Abdulaziz khan bin Mahmud, el-muzaffer daima)意為「永遠的勝利者，馬哈茂德之子，阿卜杜勒-阿齊茲汗」。下緣「سنة ٨ 」(sanat 8)則代表「第八年」，意為君主登基紀年第八年。花押上方環列七枚五角星，下方圍繞月桂葉冠，兩根月桂樹枝交疊處前有形似箭袋的物品相疊。邊緣幣環有向內的細齒，作保護幣圖之用。

錢幣背面中央上方為「عز نصره」(azza nasrahu)，意為「願真主使其得勝」。下方兩行「ضرب في」(darb fi)、「قسطنطينية」(Kostantiniyya)，意為「鑄造於君士坦丁堡」，下方為鑄主的登基年「١٢٧٧」(1277)，相當於公元1861年。幣文外環繞月桂葉冠，末段樹枝尖端正對處間有一五角星。

阿卜杜勒-阿齊茲，是蘇丹馬哈茂德二世之子，於公元1861年在其兄長阿卜杜勒-馬吉德一世去世後繼位為鄂圖曼土耳其蘇丹。他在即位之初展現出與前任截然不同的節儉氣象，頒布詔書承諾簡化行政程序並縮減宮廷預算，不僅解散了兄長留下的龐大後宮，還將大量宮廷金銀器皿送往鑄幣廠熔毀以支撐財政。他在行政上高度依賴開明官僚傅阿德帕夏與阿里帕夏，致力於推動《坦志麥特》改革。公元1867年，阿卜杜勒-阿齊茲受拿破崙三世邀請訪問巴黎參加萬國博覽會，隨後訪問倫敦與維也納，成為首位在和平時期踏足西歐的鄂圖曼君主，他在訪問期間表現出對西方工業技術的強烈興趣。回國後，他推動了首部《民法典》(Mecelle)的編纂，並於公元1868年創立了加拉塔薩雷高中以推廣法式世俗教育。然而，他對海軍力量有著近乎偏執的追求，投入巨資向英國與法國訂購當時最先進的鐵甲艦，使鄂圖曼海軍在公元1870年代一度躍升為世界第三，但這也造成了毀滅性的財政負擔。隨著公元1871年阿里帕夏去世，阿卜杜勒-阿齊茲逐漸收回權力並開展專制，他興建了富麗堂皇的貝勒貝伊宮與查拉安宮，加劇了國家赤字。公元1875年，帝國因巴爾幹半島的赫塞哥維納起義與旱災導致財政崩潰，宣佈停止支付外債利息，引發國際信用喪失。公元1876年5月，在神職人員「索夫塔」的示威與米德哈特帕夏的策劃下，他在多爾瑪巴赫切宮被廢黜，隨即被禁錮，並於公元1876年6月4日被發現死於獄中，手腕動脈被剪刀割斷。