Set Description
Among the many coinage issues of the Ottoman Empire, one of the most fascinating and historic series are the Nickel Para series issued from 1909-1921. These coins were issued in four denominations: 5 Para, 10 Para, 20 Para and 40 Para. To understand where these coins fit into Ottoman life, a brief explanation of the Ottoman monetary system is needed.
Ottoman coinage came in three different denomination groups. The first and highest denomination was the Lira group, which were all gold coins. The Lira can be thought of as the Ottoman dollar. The second group is the Kurush group, which were all 83.3% silver coins after 1844. The Kurush can be thought of as an Ottoman cent. Below this came the Para group, which were fractions of a Kurush and were base metal or low grade silver coins. 40 Para equaled 1 Kurush and 100 Kurush equaled 1 Lira.
As with most of the coins I collect, there is an interesting story behind the Nickel Paras. These coins represent the sole Ottoman issues that were only products of the 20th Century and the sole distinctive numismatic product of the Young Turk regime, which toppled the dictatorial Sultan Abdul Hamid II from his throne and restored the Ottoman Empire to the constitutional rule that had preceded Abdul Hamid's accession to the throne in 1876.
The Young Turk movement was a grassroots, popular movement that was born out of the colleges and intellectual circles of the Ottoman Empire and elsewhere in places where Ottoman students and intellectuals lived and studied, such as Paris. As time went on, many in the Ottoman Military found their way into the movement as well, giving it strength. The goals of the Young Turk movement were simple, but huge: Topple Abdul Hamid II by any means necessary and restore the Ottoman Constitution of 1876.
On the political spectrum, the Young Turks were a far left movement, advocating freedom, constitutional rule, gender and ethnic equality and secularism. The success of their movement and the high profile it gained has immortalized the term "Young Turk" when referring to far-left, liberal parties up to the present day.
In 1908, the Young Turks finally staged their revolution and were successful in restoring the Ottoman Constitution, though they compromised with Abdul Hamid II and allowed him to stay on the throne as a constitutional monarch. This was to prove to be their one major mistake.
In April of 1909, an uprising of malcontented religious students who were unhappy with the secularism of the Young Turks restored Abdul Hamid II to full power in the Ottoman capital of Constantinople and in a few outlying areas where there were Abdul Hamid loyalists from earlier times. They were backed by a conservative leaning Ottoman Army corps made up of Arabic recruits. This situation lasted for less than two weeks as the Young Turks were still in charge of the rest of the Ottoman Empire. They easily took back the capital and deposed Abdul Hamid II for good at the end of April 1909.
Once firmly in power, the Young Turks drew on an old Islamic tradition regarding coinage. Historically, the issuing of coinage, particularly silver coinage, is one of the most important factors in establishing sovereignty. The Ottoman Empire, though now officially secular, was still nominally part of the Islamic World and indeed the leader of it so the Young Turks took this tradition and added their own twist. Instead of the silver coinage of the Ottoman Empire, the Young Turks used the nickel coinage, the coinage of the everyday Ottoman people, to establish their sovereignty and send the message that they and the Ottoman people were one and the same, and that the people now ruled themselves. The obverse motto of these stunningly beautiful coins, Freedom, Justice, Equality says it all!
Of the four Nickel Para denominations, the 20 Para is the toughest series because of two of the keys, the 1327/7 (1915) issues are two of the premier rarities in all of Ottoman coinage, not just this series. The mintage of 20 Paras in 1915 was 800 coins, divided between two different types. The other key is the enigmatic 1327 No Regnal Year, which is highly elusive in its own right. Its enigma revolves around the fact that there is dispute among Ottoman numismatists as to what this coin really is. Is it a pattern? An error? An extremely low mintage first year issue? I have my own thoughts which I share in the set.
The other coins are available in circulated grade, but in mint state any of these issues is scarce, as is true of any Ottoman coinage issue. So check out this set of some of the most beautiful, historic and challenging coins ever issued by any country!!
