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TYRANT COLLECTION
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329
Ottoman Empire
Silver Para, AH 1026
Mustafa I (1st reign), Ottoman Sultan, AH 1027-1027/AD 1617-1618
A 1356. Fine.
Amid (Diyarbakr) mint. Tughra; Reverse, mint and date. Very rare. Amid (Amida) was an ancient and
medieval city of Mesopotamia located where Diyarbakr, Turkey stands today.
Mustafa I ibn Mehmet, called Mustafa “the Mad” by modern historians, was the son of Mehmet III and
twice Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 1617 to 1618 and again 1622 to 1623. Before 1603 it was custom-
ary for the Ottoman sultan to have his brothers executed shortly after ascending the throne. For unknown
reasons, when the 13-year-old Ahmed I was enthroned in 1603, he spared the life of his twelve-year-
old brother Mustafa. When Ahmed died in 1617, multiple princes were now eligible for the Sultanate.
Mustafa suffered from mental problems but was deemed a better choice than Osman, Ahmed’s young
son. It was the first time an Ottoman sultan was succeeded by his brother rather than his son. It was
hoped that the responsibilities of court life would improve his mental health but his behavior remained
eccentric. He pulled at the turbans of his viziers and yanked their beards. In 1618, an opposition palace
faction deposed Mustafa and installed his young nephew Osman II.
330
Ottoman Empire
Gold Sultani, AH 1027
Osman II, Ottoman Sultan, AH 1027-1031/AD 1618-1622
A 1358. Very Fine.
Jaza’ir (Algiers) mint.
Sultan ‘Uthman bin Ahmad khan ‘azza nasruh
u date and mint below; Reverse,
darib al-nadr wa sahib al-’izz al-nasr fi’l birr wa’l-bahr
“the striker of precious metal, and master of
glory, the victorious on land and sea”. Very rare variety. Jaza’ir came under Ottoman control in the early
16th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, piracy in the Mediterranean led to the Barbary Wars
in which the young United States of America saw its first important naval victory.