★ Unique islamic coin pattern! ★

Islamic. Ottoman, Sultan Mustafa III, 1171 AH, Year 3, double zolta, 60 para (3450 gr, 85 mm & 190 mm)
Obv: Es-Sultan’ul Berreyn / ve Hakan’ul Bahreyn / es-Sultan bin / Sultan
→ “Sultan over the two continents and ruler over the two seas, the Sultan, son of a Sultan”
This titulature emphasizes the imperial greatness of the ruler, who governed both Anatolia (Asia) and Rumelia (Europe), as well as the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Rev: Es-Sultan Mustafa bin Ahmed Han / d’emre mulkehu / duribe fi Islambul / 1171
→ “Sultan Mustafa, son of Ahmed Han. By divine command, his reign was established. Struck in Islambul (Istanbul) in the year 1171 AH”
The phrase d’emre mulkehu (“by divine command his reign”) refers to the divine origin of sovereignty – a typical motif in Islamic rulership ideology.

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Sultan Mustafa III (reigned 1757–1774) was an intelligent and reform-minded ruler during a period of political and military upheaval. He recognized the deficiencies of the administrative and military systems and pursued reforms in education and taxation, attempting to adapt the Ottoman Empire to the challenges of the 18th century.

Coinage played a central role in the political communication of the state: it served to manifest legitimate rule to subjects and religious authorities – through script, imagery, and symbolism.

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This massive iron coin die originates from an Ottoman mint and was crafted for striking a double zolta – a silver coin with a face value of 60 para. It is an extremely rare specimen, with both die halves (obverse and reverse) fully preserved – an outstanding example of Ottoman precision craftsmanship and numismatic history.

Coin dies were produced under strict supervision in the imperial mint (Darphane-i Amire) in Istanbul. Each piece was a handcrafted original, into which the coin design was engraved. Production required skilled engravers and a specialized infrastructure.

Complete iron coin die pairs have survived only very rarely, as they were often destroyed, melted down, or worn out over time. Most surviving examples show only one side or are fragmentary. This complete die set, with both sides in excellent preservation, is therefore of great historical importance.