Abstract:

Coins are highly valuable documentary cultural assets providing a wide range of important information about the state of independence, the order of the sovereigns, economic structure, technological development, mines in use, mints, range, writings and languages, arts and cultural characteristics of a state. During the Ottoman Period, from the time of Osman Bey, the rulers minted coins as a symbol of tradition and sovereignty when they came to the throne. The main currency of the Ottomans was silver akche. Copper manghırs from the reign of Murad I and the first gold coin sultani were minted during the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, which was called the most brilliant and magnificent period of the Ottoman Empire, gold coin minting was generalized and sultanis were minted in many mints. The reign of Suleiman the Magnificent was the richest period among the Ottoman sultans in terms of the variety of mints where sultani was minted. However, silver and copper coin minting was quite a lot in parallel with the power of the sultan and the state. Like sultanis, akches and manghırs were minted in many mints. Coins (sultani, akche and manghır) in the period of Suleiman the Magnificent reflect the differences, innovations and diversity in the Ottoman period with their typefonts and coin designs. Among the Ottoman coins in the Silifke Museum, there are five coins, which are intact and readable from the period of Suleiman the Magnificent. One of these coins is gold sultani and four are silver akches. In this study, coins, types, ornaments and general features of the period of Suleiman the Magnificent rather than the historical process related to the period have been examined by considering catalog examples and their place and importance in Ottoman coins have been emphasized by evaluating their materials, compositions, ornaments, designs and places of mints in addition to the catalog information of the five coins in the Silifke Museum.

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