Ottoman coins up for sale online

ISTANBUL

Ottoman-era coins are being offered for sale for millions of Turkish Liras on e-commerce platforms, with a gold coin dated 1223 from the period of Mahmud II up for sale for 500 million liras and 10 coins dated 1327 from the reign of Mehmed V for 50 million liras.

The coins, considered to be historical artifacts or antiques, are put up for sale with the tags such as “for collectors,” “old money,” and “historical money.”

Among more than 27,000 advertisements under the title of “money, medal” on the websites, the gold coin dated 1223 from the reign of Mahmud II has been offered for sale at the highest price. The owner of the gold coin from the period of Mahmud II, the 30th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, has put it up for sale for 500 million liras.

Also, 10 coins dated 1327 from the reign of Sultan Mehmed Reşad, known as Mehmed V, the 35th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, were offered for sale by the owner for 50 million liras. There are also foreign coins from different periods on the platform.

Providing information regarding the sale of objects specified as “historical artifacts” online, Neşet Gündüz, head of the Antalya Branch of the Consumers Union, said, “Ottoman coins may not have the characteristics of historical artifacts. They are offered for sale with expressions such as ‘historical’ or ‘antique’ on some websites. Those who want to buy them should be careful. It should be investigated whether it is historical or not, as there has been an increase in complaints about this issue recently.

Some things are tried to be sold as historical artifacts. The permission of the Museum Directorate must be obtained for the sale of historical artifacts. The police can also intervene in these sales.”

“Those, who want to buy these coins, should not pay before speaking to experts. The sale of objects that do not have historical or antique value on the Internet may cause legal process. Consumers should not pay a deposit against the risk of fraud,” Gündüz added.