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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ancientnoob, post: 2481931, member: 44140&quot;]I managed to acquire this as part of an exchange with [USER=74834]@Pellinore[/USER] who was looking to bolster his Sassanian ranks. A wonderful coin, which admittedly was not on the list, but is a welcomed addition to family. </p><p><br /></p><p>Not long after the conquest of Byzantine Constantinople in 1453 by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, the entire face of one of the worlds longest producing mints was changed for ever. Gone are the days of the crude, unsightly coins of busts and figures, began the period of Islam and the adaptation of a text base coin design, which was adopted almost completely though out the Muslim world. </p><p><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/EmperorSuleiman.jpg/800px-EmperorSuleiman.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>This coin, a gold piece of the Ottoman Empire. This coin was struck by one of the most famous Islamic rulers in human history; Suleyman the Magnificent. This particular coin was minted over a wide geographical area, some in Egypt, some in Syria, and some in the former Byzantine stronghold of Constantinople. </p><p><br /></p><p>For me the coin is on cusp of what I consider medieval - I might even consider this to be early modern. I thought it would be worth it post it here among the Ancient and Medieval, I am sure you guys will allow such a coin, with the mint of Constantinople it has some street cred. </p><p><br /></p><p>Taking the throne of the Ottoman Empire in AD 1520, Suleyman set out to expand the Empire in ever direction with little to stand in his way. During his relatively long reign he elevated the Ottomans to a level of grandeur and opulence that had not been seen since the time of Justinian I. </p><p><br /></p><p>Suleyman would commission some of the greatest building projects like the Süleymaniye Mosque completed in 1558. Pictured here in 1890, and still stands to this day.</p><p><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/S%C3%BCleymaniye_Mosque%2C_Istanbul.jpg/800px-S%C3%BCleymaniye_Mosque%2C_Istanbul.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>Suleyman was also an accomplished Poet writing in both Persian and Turkish! He went by nom de plume Muhibbi (The Lover.) Some surviving works include Turkish Proverbs and a chronogram commemorating the year of the death of his young son, titled <i>Peerless among princes, my Sultan Mehmed. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>Suleyman shared his empire with several literary greats including Baki and Fazuli, and he also wrote several pieces about his obsession with a Polish slave girl whom he elevated through his harem. One of his most famous versus is about how money and power are not the most important things in life but rather good health. </p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>The people think of wealth and power as the greatest fate,</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>But in this world a spell of health is the best state.</i></p><p><i>What men call sovereignty is a worldly strife and constant war;</i></p><p><i>Worship of God is the highest throne, the happiest of all estates</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>The success of his naval Commander Barbarossa (born on Lesbos in 1474) secured the Ottoman domination of the Mediterranean Sea during the 16th, and art, science, literature, trade and architecture flourished on the dust of the ancient world.</p><p><br /></p><p>With all the titles he bestowed upon himself on his coins none seem to be at all misleading....dude was for realz, awesome.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://egregores.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/ottoman-empire-15801.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>Kostantiniye, (Istambul)</p><p>Ottoman Empire</p><p>Suleyman I (The Magnificent) (r. AD 1520- 1566)</p><p>AV Sultani 20 mm x 3.36 grams Dated ( AH 926 or AD 1520)</p><p>Obverse: Sultan Süleyman Shah bin Sultan Selim Shah, Azze nasruhu, dhuribe fi qustantiniyah , seneh (926)-(Sultan Süleyman Shah son of Sultan Selim Shah, May his Victory be Glorious struck in Constantinople Year (AH 926) )</p><p>Reverse:Reverse : Dharibun-Nadri sahibbul izzi vennasri filberri velbahr-(Striker of the Glittering, Master of Might Victory and of Land and the Sea.)</p><p>Ref: Album -1317</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]524036[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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