Collector owns Ottoman sultan’s unseen banknote

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

The fifth emission 500 kuruş has never been seen before until it was found by a collector in Ankara.

Fifth emission 500 kuruş, which was printed by an Ottoman sultan in 1849 but has never been seen so far, was found with a collector in Ankara. 

The owner of the banknote, researcher and writer Necati Doğan, said the banknotes were launched for the first time in the Ottoman era in the period of Abdülmecit in 1840 with the name “Kaime-i Nakdiye-i Mütebere.” 

He said that the banknotes were worth the interest bearing bill of debt or treasury stock, adding that the first emission group banknotes were hand-written, while the ones after 1841 were printed. 

First-term Ottoman banknotes 

Doğan said first-term Ottoman banknotes had not been seen so far, adding that the fifth emission 500 kuruş, which was printed in 1849, was one of those. 

He added the fifth emission 500 kuruş to his collection some time ago. Referring to the money, he said, “We knew of its existence thanks to the record of the Prime Ministry State Archives General Directorate. Just like the other banknotes in that era, this banknote was printed on one-side. It shows Abdülmecit’s flower-embossed signature, the value of the money and annual six percent interest. The other side has the seal of the financial minister Hüseyin Hüsnü. The paper of the money, which was printed with lithography method in 149x211 millimeters, is much thinner than current banknotes.”