Subgroup: Ottoman occupation coins
Type: Subgroup: Ottoman occupation coins

Description, picture:
Gold. Altun. Weight – 3,47 gr. d=19 mm.
Gold. Altun ashrafi (double altun). Weight – 6,15 gr. d=30/32 mm.
Silver. Onlik. Weight – approximately 5,3 gr. d=26-27 mm.
Silver. Beshlik. Weight – approximately 2,65 gr. d=18 mm.
Silver. Nimbeshlik. Weight – approximately 1,26 gr. d=14 mm.
Copper. Weight  – 7,65 gr. d=15/22 mm.


Gold. Altun.

Obverse: “Tughra” in the centre – abbreviation of sultan Ahmed III’s (1703-1730) name.

Reverse
: The place and date of issue in Arabic in three lines – Struck at Tbilisi in 1115 (=1703/1704). Twofold circle around, one –  of the dots, another – linear. Date on the Ottoman coins corresponds to the first year of a sultan’s rule.


Gold. Altun ashrafi (double altun).

Obverse: “Tughra” in the centre, below – date and place of issue in Arabic – struck at Tbilisi in 1115 (=1703/1704).

Reverse
: Sultan’s haughty epithet in four lines in Arabic – Sultan of two continents and khakan of two seas, sultan, son of sultan. Around circle of the dots.


Silver. Onlik. Beshlik. Nimbeshlik.

Obverse: “Tughra” in the centre, below – Arabic legend in three lines – struck at Tbilisi in 1115 (=1703/1704).

Reverse
: Arabic legend in four lines – Sultan of two continents and khakan of two seas, sultan, son of sultan. Linear circle and circle of the dots.


Copper.

Obverse: “Tughra” in the centre, circle of the dots around.

Reverse: Arabic legend in three lines – struck at Tbilisi in 1143 (=1730/1731).



Scholarly commentary:
    Following the treaty of Amasia (1555), Georgia was subjugated to the hegemony of the Safavids and the Ottomans. The Western Georgia was controlled by the Ottomans, whereas the Eastern Georgia – by the Safavids.
    As far back as in the reign of Tahmasp I (1524-1576) Iranian silver coins were struck at Zagemi mint (see Coins of the Georgian kings and princes in the the 15th-16th cc.). From the 17th c. Iranian occupation coins were struck at Tbilisi.
    According to D. Kapanadze, the names of the following Iranian shahs are placed on the 17th-18th cc. silver coins struck at Tbilisi: Abbas I (1587-1629), Safi I (1629-1642), Abbas II (1642-1667), Suleyman (1667-1694), Husain (1694–1722), Abbas III (1731-1736) from the Safavid dynasty; Nadir Shah (1736-1747), Ibrahim Shah (1748) and Shahrukh (1748-1796) from the Afsharid dynasty; Karim Khan Zand (1750-1779). The most widespread coin in Georgia was silver abbasi, then come its fractions – 2 shauris/mahmudi, or as it is sometimes called, uzaltuni, relatively rare is shauri, which was ¼ of abbasi. Rarer are larger nominals: marchili, which is known to us from the the British catalogue,  half marchili (6 shauris or 1,5 abbasis) and panjshahi (5 shauris).
    The smallest silver nominal was bisti (2,5 bistis equaled shauri), which was struck very rarely on special occasions, as exceptions.
    D. Kapanadze also claims, based on written sources, that gold shauris too were struck in Georgia and that larger silver nominals such as minaltuns were circulating. However, the factual material does not attest to any of the claims.
    Silver coins struck in the 17th-18th cc. at Tbilisi mint were issued according to the Iranian monetary system. The main unit was the nominal introduced by shah Abbas I – abbasi, with standard weight 7,76 gr. The theoretical weight of abbasi remained unchanged till 1717, when under the order of shah Husain, the weight of abbasi decreased till 5,40 gr. In 1721 the weight of abbasi decreased once again and constituted 4,63 gr.

    Silver.
    Abbasi – weight in 1604/1605-1717 is approximately 7,5 gr.; in 1717/18-1765/1766 – approximately 5 gr. with the tendency of weight lightening.  d≈17-25 mm.
    2 shauris (mahmudi, or uzaltuni) – weight in 1604/1605-1717 is approximately 3,7 gr.; in 1717/18-1765/1766 – approximately 2,6 gr. d≈19 mm.
    Shauri (shahi) – weight in 1604/1605-1717 is approximately 1,7 gr.-1,8 gr.; in 1717/18-1765/1766 – approximately 1,2 gr. d≈13-16/19 mm.
    Bisti – weight in 1715 is 0,68 gr., in 1717/1718 – 0,41 gr. d≈9 mm.
    Marchili (12 shauris or 3 abbasis) – weight in 1748/1749 is 13,83 gr. d≈26 mm.
    Half marchili (6 shauris or 1,5 abbasis) – weight in 1735 is approximately 7,08 gr. d≈24 mm.
    Panjshahi (5 shauris) – weight in 1604/1605-1717 is approximately 8,5 gr. d≈18/25-31/32 mm.
    Nadiri – weight in 1739 is 11,56 gr. d≈23/24 mm.
    Half nadiri – weight in 1737/1738 is 6,88 gr. d≈17-19 mm.

    The general description of the silver coins is almost identical.

Obverse: Arabic legend in four lines, Shia religious formula – There is no god but Allāh alone, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh, Ali is the wali of Allāh.
Reverse: Persian legend in four lines – Slave of the king of purity, Abbas, struck at Tbilisi. Imam Ali is considered under the “king of purity”. The name of Abbas I is gradually replaced with the names of the next shahs: Safi I (1629-1642), Abbas II (1642-1667), Suleyman (1667-1694), Husain (1694–1722), Abbas III (1731-1736) from the Safavid dynasty; Nadir Shah (1736-1747), Ibrahim Shah (1748) and Shahrukh (1748-1796) from the Afsharid dynasty; Karim Khan Zand (1750-1779). A.H. date.

    In the reign of Nadir Shah, along with the functioning monetary system (the basis for which was abbasi), a new system, taken from India, was established. The basis of the new system was rupee or nadiri (appr. 11,5 gr.). Smaller nominals too were struck. In Tbilisi silver was partially struck according to the old system – six shauris (1,5 abbasis), abbasi (at that time it was 4,6 gr.), mahmudi and shauri (shahi); and partially according to the new system – 1 rupee or nadiri (2,5 abbasis, weight appr. 11,5 gr.).

Obverse: Persian inscription – Sultan of the Sultans, Shahanshah Nadir, sahibkaran.
Reverse: Persian inscription – Struck at Tbilisi. Various A.H. dates.

    According to Evg. Pakhomov, the first silver coin in the name of Iranian shah was struck at Tbilisi in A.H. 1013  (=1604/1605). The coin was kept at Dresden Museum.
    According to T. Kutelia, the abbasi of shah Abbas I was struck in 1604-1616.
    Iranian silver coins were struck at Tbilisi including A.H. 1179 (=1765/1766). From this period begins the emission of Erekle II’s silver coins (sirma vertskhli).
    Simultaneously with Tbilisi mint, in the 17th c. the silver coins were struck at Zagemi in the name of shah Abbas I (1587-1629) and shah Safi I (1629-1642).
    Apart from silver coins, Tbilisi mint also struck copper coins according to the Iranian pattern. In the 16th-19th cc. copper coins of one pattern were issued in Iran. A certain depiction is placed on the obverse, whereas on the reverse – Persian inscription which includes the name of a mint and date of issue. There are up to 50 effigies on the obverse of Iranian copper coins – peacock, goose, hen, cock, parrot, eagle and partridge, camel, goat, sheep, antelope, elephant, rhinoceros, lion and sun, lion with a sword and the sun behind, horseman with a sword etc. The Persian inscription on the reverse of the Iranian copper coin is read as follows: “pulus was struck”, then, the name of a mint and date. In this case “pulus” does not mean nominal. It only refers to the coin metal – copper.

    Copper.

    Half bisti – weight is approximately 8,5 gr. d≈22-28 mm.
    Puli – weight is approximately 4,5 gr. d≈26 mm.
    Half puli – weight is approximately 2,93 gr. d≈21 mm.      

    Copper. General chronology – 1605/1606-beginning of the 18th c.; 1735/1736.

Obverse: Lion to the right, with the depiction of the rising sun in the background (alternative variants – deer, bull, horse, peacock, rhinoceros etc.)
Reverse: Persian legend – Pulus was struck at Tbilisi, sometimes  A.H. date

    Interesting question is when the emission of copper coins started at Tbilisi mint.
    The date, placed on one of the anonymous copper coins (with the depiction of lion on both sides) struck at Tbilisi, was read as A.H. 1014 (=May 1605-May 1606). Therefore, Evg. Pakhomov thinks that this was the first anonymous copper coin struck at Tbilisi mint.
    Iranian copper coins were struck at Tbilisi mint till the beginning of the 18th c. From 1708 till 1719/1720 copper coins were struck by the rulers of Kartli: Vakhtang, Simon and Bakar (Copper coins of Vakhtang VI with the effigy of threemasted ship; Copper coins of Simon with the effigy of dragon; Copper coins of Bakar with the effigy of peacock). Then, in 1723-1735, Ottoman occupation coins were struck. The last copper coin of Safavid dynasty struck at Tbilisi was issued in A.H. 1148 (=1735/1736). Afterwards, the copper coins were struck only by the Georgian kings.
    In 1723-1735 Tbilisi and the entire Eastern Georgia was occupied by the Ottomans. Tbilisi mint struck coins in the name of the sultans. But first Ottoman coin on Georgian soil was struck long before at Artanuji (South-Western Georgia).
    Based on the information from the scholarly literature and the facts, M. Antadze states about Artanuji mint acting in the 16th c. under sultan’s authority.
    The first akçes struck at Artanuji are dated by the first year of sultan Suleyman I’s (1520-1566) reign, A.H. 926 (=1520). In autumn 1520 the Ottomans occupied Artanuji and issued the occupation coins.
    Approximately half a century later, two nominals – akçe and altun – were struck again at Artanuji. These coins are dated by the first year (A.H. 974 (=1566/1567)) of Selim II’s reign (1566-1574).
    The coins struck at Artanuji afterwards have not yet been recorded.
    Let us go back to the tale about occupation of Eastern Georgia by the Ottomans in 1723-1735. Surely, they also gained Tbilisi mint where they issued Ottoman gold, silver and copper coins.
    We begin our survey of the coins with the description of gold coin (altun). The coin, discovered in 1941 in Kutaisi, in the yard of Catholic church, is now kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia.
    The weight of altun is 3,47 gr. d=19 mm.
    An important fact is that, apart from altuns, a double altun – altun ashrafi – was also struck at Tbilisi mint.  There was only one sample known, kept at the Museum in Istanbul. Identical coin along with the rest of the collection of Evg. Pakhomov was handed over in 1965 to Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia (QF. (Main Fund of the Georgian Coins, Numismatic Collection, Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia) №4975. Weight – 6,15 gr. d=30-32 mm.).
    Tbilisi mint also produced various nominals of silver: onlik, beshlik and nimbeshlik, which are equal to abbasi, 2 shauris and shauri.
    The weight of onlik is approximately 5,32 gr. d≈26 mm.
    Onliks were struck at Tbilisi also during rule of Mahmud I (1730-1754) (A.H. 1143 (=1730/1731). Weight is approximately 5,30 gr. d≈26-27 mm.).

    Beshlik struck at Tbilisi with the date A.H. 1115 does not  differ from onlik. The weight of the sample described by Evg. Pakhomov is 2,65 gr.
    The third nominal of Ottoman silver money, stuck at Tbilisi, was nimbeshlik. As M. Antadze notes, this is an extremely rare coin which is known only in 2 samples, A.H. 1115 (=1703/1704). They look exactly like the onlik with the same date. Weight is approximately 1,26 gr.
    During the Ottoman hegemony, a copper coin was struck at Tbilisi mint. The coin is kept at Simon Janashia    Museum of Georgia and was first published by D. Kapanadze and then – M. Antadze.
    The weight of the copper coin is 7,65 gr. d=15-22 mm.
    The Ottoman occupation of Eastern Georgia lasted only 12 years and, despite this, they managed to issue at Tbilisi several nominals: altun, altun ashrafi, onlik, beshlik, nimbeshlik and copper coins.
Mint: Tbilisi.
Nominal: Gold. Altun ashrafi (double altun). Weight – 6,15 gr. Gold. Altun. Weight – 3,47 gr. Silver. Onlik. Weight – approximately 5,3 gr. Silver. Beshlik. Weight – approximately 2,65 gr. Silver. Nimbeshlik. Weight – approximately 1,26 gr. Copper. Weight – 7
Date: 1723-1735.
Collection: Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia, ex. QF. (Main Fund of the Georgian Coins, Numismatic Collection, Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia) №№1136-1139, QF. №1177, QF. №1577, QF. №№1597-1618, QF. №№2450-2454, QF. №№2457-2462, QF. №№4975-4991, QF. №5009, QF. №5017, QF. №№5018-5020; GF. (Fund of Treasury, Numismatic Collection, Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia) №5086.
Bibliography:
M. Antadze. Rare Ottoman Gold Coin Struck at Tbilisi. “Dzeglis Megobari”. №23. Tb. 1970 (in Georg.); Georgia and Turkey in the 15th-18th cc. According to Numismatic Material. Tb. 1982 (in Georg.); Artanuji Mint. “Pirosmani”. Spring 2008, №4 (in Georg.).

G. Dundua. Money in Georgia (Georg. and Engl. parallel texts). Tb. 2003 (2nd edition) (T. Dundua, N. Javakhishvili and A. Eristavi as co-authors); Georgian Numismatics. II. Tb. 2011 (T. Dundua as co-author) (in Georg.); Georgian Numismatic Dictionary. Tb. 2009 (Ir. Jalaghania as co-author) (in Georg.).

P. Gugushvili. Money and Money Circulation in Georgia and Transcaucasia in the 19th c. Proceedings of Tbilisi State University. VI. Tb. 1936 (in Georg.).

D. Kapanadze. Georgian Numismatics. Tb. 1969 (in Georg.).

R. Kebuladze. Chronology of Circulation of Sirma Vertskhli in Georgia. Bulletin (“Moambe”) of Georgian Academy of Sciences. Vol. 53. №3. Tb. 1969 (in Georg.); Circulation of European Coins in the 15th-18th cc. Georgia. Tb. 1971 (in Georg.).

N. Koiava. Money Circulation, Credit and Finances in the 18th c. Georgia. Tb. 1963 (in Georg.).

T. Kutelia. Unknown Mint of Kakheti Kingdom. “Dzeglis Megobari”. №23. Tb. 1970 (in Georg.); Tbilisi Mint in the 17th -18th cc. (Silver Money). Bulletin (“Moambe”) of the State Museum of Georgia. Vol. XXXIII-В. Tb. 1978 (in Georg.); Catalogue of Iranian Copper Money. Tb. 1990 (in Georg.).

Д. Г. Капанадзе. Грузинская нумизматика. М. 1955.

Т. С. Кутелия. Грузия и Сефевидский Иран (по данным нумизматики). Тб. 1979.

Е. А. Пахомов. Вес и достоинство медной монеты Тифлиса XVII-XVIII вв. Отдельный оттиск из т. III, «Востоковедение». Изд. вост. факультета Азерб. Гос. Университета. Баку. 1928; Монетные клады Азербайджана и других республик, краев и областей Кавказа. вып. III. Баку. 1940; Монетные клады Азербайджана и других республик, краев и областей Кавказа. вып. IV. Баку. 1949; Монетные клады Азербайджана и других республик, краев и областей Кавказа. Вып. VIII. Баку. 1959; Монеты Грузии. Тб. 1970.

Imported coins found in Georgia:



Hoards of the 17th-18th cc. foreign coins found in Georgia

    We will start registering the hoards of the 17th-18th cc. foreign coins with the Ottoman money.

Hoards of the 17th c. Ottoman coins found in Georgia:

    1. A large hoard was found in Likhauri village (Makharadze/Ozurgeti district) in 1945. The hoard contains up to 100 Turkish akçes, more than 1000 imitations to them and up to 20 silver plates of various shapes. These plates conform to the imitations by their quality of metal. According to D. Kapanadze, it is clear that they were the plates for striking the imitations. The author pays particular attention to the fact that “... among these plates two or three have a shape of cross and huge importance should be given to that, since this shows that if the imitations were not struck by Christians, they were produced by those who lived among the Christians (i.e. in Georgia)”.
    M. Antadze divided the hoard of Likhauri into three parts:
    I. Akçes struck by Murad III (1574-1595) at Hanja mint.
    II. Coins struck in the name of Mehmet IV (1648-1687) and Ahmet II (1691-1695) at various mints of the Ottoman Empire.
    III. In this part the author assembled those coins which she considered to be local imitations. 
Most probably, the hoard of Likhauri was buried in late 17th c.
    2. A hoard of the 17th c. 537 small size Ottoman and Iranian silver coins in a clay pot was found in 1913 near Batumi, on top of Sameba hill, in the gorge of Korolistskali river and Bartskhana, near the ruins of old church. Evg. Pakhomov, while reviewing the hoard, spotted 2 coins of Murad IV (1623-1640) dated by A.H. 1033 (1623/1624) and 4 mahmuds of shah Suleyman (1667-1694). On one of them there is a name of the mint – Tbilisi, and a fragment of a date – 109?. He also saw shahi of the same shah and 3 imitations to Ottoman money. Apart from this, there was one Georgian coin with the depiction of fish (which probably belongs to atabeg Kvarkvare – T. Dundua) and 519 badly preserved Turkish akçes. 29 coins out of this hoard are kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia. All of them are badly preserved. According to M. Antadze, the deposition of the hoard should happen in late 17th c. or early 18th c.
    3. According to M. Antadze, at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia there are kept the coins brought back from Paris, on the inventory book of which there is written by Evg. Pakhomov: 17th c. Ottoman and Iranian coins found in Georgia. Ottoman coins are struck in the name of Mustafa I (1617-1618, 1622-1623).
    4. 334 small silver coins were accidentally found in 1977 in Jikhanjiri village (Lanchkhuti district) on “Nastepanari hill”, under the stone. The hoard is kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia. All the coins in the hoard are the Ottoman akçes. The chronological frame of the hoard is large. The earliest coin is dated by A.H. 926 (1519/1520), latest by A.H. 1003 (1594/1595). Majority of them is struck at Hanja mint of Trabzon vilayet. Apart from the coins struck at Hanja, there are also coins struck in various mints of the Ottoman Empire. These mints are Constantinople, Edirne, Novar, Karatovo, Novoberda, Sidre-Kays, Sakiz, Kayseri and Erzerum.

Hoards of the 18th c. Ottoman coins found in Georgia:

    1. A hoard of 13 altuns and 8 Venetian ducats was found in 1941 in Kutaisi on the territory of a Catholic church. 10 out of 13 altuns were struck by Ahmet III (1703-1730). 8 out of these 10 altuns were struck at Constantinople, 1 – at Misr, and another one – at Tbilisi. Three altuns were struck in the name of Mahmud I (1730-1754) at Constantinople. These coins were handed over to Moscow for the defence fund, whereas Tbilisi altun was given back to the State Museum of Georgia (GF. №5086, d=19 mm., weight – 3,47 gr.). Date – A.H. 1115 (1703/1704).
    2. A hoard of 355 Ottoman silver coins in a clay pot was found in 1937 in Murjakheti village (Akhalkalaki district). The contents of the hoard are as follows: Ottoman sultans – Suleyman II (1687-1691) – 1 sample, Ahmet II (1691-1695) – 2 samples, Mustafa II (1695-1703) – 109 samples, Ahmet III (1703-1730) – 155 samples, Mahmud I (1730-1754) – 88 samples. The coins of the hoard are chronologically placed in 1687-1730. The latest coin from the hoard is dated by A.H. 1143 (=1730/1731), whereas its deposition, probably, could not happen before the 50s of the 18th c.
    There are the following nominals in the hoard: kuruş, half kuruş (irmilik), onlik and akçe. The coins in the Murjakheti hoard are struck at different mints of the empire: Constantinople (majority), Edirne (Adrianople), Erzerum, Tbilisi, Ganja, Gümüşhane.
    3. Onliks struck in the name Ahmet III and dated by A.H. 1115 (=1703/1704) were found in the outskirts of Tbilisi in 1909.
    4. Silver coins in a clay vessel were found in 1960 during house construction works in the old part of Akhaltsikhe. There were 3 Austrian talers struck in 1620-1626, up to 60 Spanish pesos of late 16th-early 17th cc. and 6 onliks of the Ottoman sultan Ahmet III (1703-1730) in the hoard.
    5. 18th c. Ottoman money hoard was found in the 1900s in the outskirts of Gori. The contents were as follows: a) 29 Tbilisi onliks of Ahmet III (1703-1730), 2 were struck at Yerevan, 2 – at Tabriz, 1  beshlik, struck at Tabriz; b) one beshlik of Mahmud I (1730-1754), struck at Ganja.
    6. 6 coins from Zghuderi, dated by the first half of the 18th c., were found in 1959 during water canal construction works in the gorge of the river Dzama, near Ortubani fortress. Nowadays the coins are kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia. The coins belong to the following rulers: 1. Ahmet III (1703-1730) – 2 samples: 1 onlik, struck at Tbilisi, A.H. 1115 (=1703/1704) and 1 akçe, struck  at Constantinople; 2. Mahmud I (1730-1754) – 4 coins: two onliks, struck at Tbilisi and Ganja, A.H. 1143 (=1730/1731), 1 beshlik, struck at Tbilisi and 1 akçe struck at Misr.
    7. 18th c. Ottoman and European silver coins in clay pot were found in 1958 in Chanchati village (Lanchkhuti district) during land works. The contents of the hoard are as follows: 1. 2 ortas of the Polish king Sigismund III (1587-1632), dated by 1622-1623; 2. 24 akçes of Ahmet III (1703-1730) and 58 akçes of Mahmud I (1730-1754).
    The hoard was buried in the second half of the 18th c.
    8. 3 akçes of Ahmet III (1703-1730) and 2 kuruş of Mustafa III (1757-1774), found near Koreti village (Sachkhere district) in 1935, were handed over to the school museum by the teacher Gogitashvili.
    9. A copper vessel with up to 8 kg. of Ottoman silver coins, dated by 1703-1786, was found in 1892 in Zarati village (nowadays Tskaltubo district).
    10. A clay pot with 106 Ottoman silver coins was found in the 1900s in Batumi. The coins were handed over to the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities. The hoard contained the coins of Abdul Hamid I (1774-1789) and Selim III (1789-1807).
    11. A hoard of the 18th c. Ottoman coins was found in the outskirts of Terjola in 1949. The contents are as follows: 1. 2 akçes of Mahmud I, A.H. 1143 (=1730/1731); 2. 2 akçes of Mustafa III, A.H. 1171 (=1757/1758); 3. akçe of Abdul Hamid, A.H. 1187 (=1774). The hoard, most probably, was buried in late 18th c.
    12. A hoard was found in the 1950s in Likhauri village (Makharadze/Ozurgeti district). The coins belong to Ahmet III (1703-1730), Mahmud I (1730-1754), Osman III (1754-1757), Mustafa III (1757-1774) and Abdul Hamid I (1774-1789). The hoard is kept at Ozurgeti Historical Museum. According to M. Antadze, the coins are divided as follows:
    I. 10 coins belong to Ahmet III, 7 out of them were struck at Constantinople, 3 – at Misr. Nominal – para.
    II. 47 coins belong to Mahmud I. 19 out of them were struck at Misr, 27 – at Constantinople, 1 is worn. Nominal – para.
    III. 5 coins belong to Osman III. 4 out of them were struck at Constantinople, 1 – at Misr. Nominal – para.
    IV. There are many coins of Mustafa III. Out of them 54 were struck at Islambul. 15 are worn. As to the number of coins struck at Misr, they are presented by 59 samples. Nominal – para.
    V. There are 143 coins of Abdul Hamid in the hoard of Likhauri. 74 out of this number belong to Constantinople mint, 62 were struck at Misr, whereas on other 7 samples the name of a mint is unreadable. Nominal – para.
The hoard, most probably, was buried in the 80s of the 18th c.
    13. A hoard of Ottoman coins, dated by late 18th c., was accidentally found in a clay pot during land works on Amiranis Gora (Akhalkalaki district). The hoard was dispersed and only 24 samples were handed over to Borjomi Historical Museum. Afterwards, M. Antadze found out that the museum handed over 10 coins as a gift (?!) to the Museum of Riga. Other 14 coins belong to the Ottoman sultans, Mustafa III (1757-1774) and Abdul Hamid I (1774-1789). The coins were struck at Constantinople and Islambul. Nominal – kuruş.
    14. Hoard of Gomi, found in 1948 in Gomi village (Ozurgeti district), is dated by the 70-80s of the 18th c. The hoard contains 49 silver coins. 19 out of them are kept at Chokhatauri Historical Museum. The coins belong to the sultan Abdul Hamid I. There is only one beshlik and the rest are kuruş. All the samples were struck at Constantinople.
    15. Silver coins were found in 1975 in Mandaeti village (Chiatura district) during land works. The hoard was divided among the finders. Ultimately 270 samples were assembled; 205 samples were handed over to Chiatura Historical Museum, 35 – to Simon Janashia State Museum of Georgia, 30 – to Kutaisi Museum of History and Ethnography. All the coins from the hoard, except for one sample, are Ottoman and were struck in the name of the following sultans: 1. Ahmet III (1703-1730), 2. Mahmud I (1730-1754), 3. Osman III (1754-1757), 4. Mustafa III (1757-1774), 5. Abdul Hamid I (1774-1789), 6. Selim III (1789-1807). There is also one sirma vertskhli in the hoard, which is dated by A.H. 1203 (=1788/1789).
    The coins were issued at the following mints: Constantinople, Islambul, Misr and Tbilisi. There are two nominals in the hoard: para and kuruş.
    The chronological frame of the hoard is A.H. 1115-1203 (=1703/1704-1788/1789). The hoard was most probably buried in late 18th c.
    16. Hoard of the 17th-19th cc. Ottoman akçes was found in 1831 near Ilori church (Ochamchire district). One part of the hoard was handed over to the State Museum of Abkhazeti. Unfortunately, there is no information what coins they were.
    17. A vessel with coins was found in 1963 in Pshaveli village (Telavi district). Among the coins there were 4 Ottoman samples. Unfortunately, there is no information what coins they were.
    18. In December 1967 336 low-quality Ottoman coins were  handed over to the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. The coins were found in Abkhazeti. However, it is unknown, what coins the hoard consisted of.
    19. A hoard was found in 1876 near the church in Tskhemi village (Zugdidi district). The hoard, along with 400 Ottoman coins (it is unknown what coins they were), contained 115 kirmaneulis.
    20. A hoard of small, low-quality silver money was found in the 1940s in the outskirts of Kutiri village (Tsulukidze/Khoni district). According to M. Antadze, the hoard was handed over to Simon Janashia State Museum of Georgia in 1949 (ex. GF. №№5391-5393).

Hoards of 17th-18th cc. Iranian coins found in Georgia.
a) Hoards of 17th-18th cc. silver coins:

    1. A large hoard of silver coins and various items was found in 1909 near Ambrolauri. There were 2287 coins, out of which 948 were of large size, 124 – mid-size and 1215 – small, with the overall weight up to 10,9 kg. One part of the coins from the military chancellery of Kutaisi was handed over to the Hermitage, another part was given back to the finder. Evg. Pakhomov in 1910 reviewed the hoard in the above-mentioned chancellery and confirmed that it consisted of shah Abbas I’s heavy abbasis which were struck at the mints of South Caucasus and Iran. Among them were numerous samples struck at Tbilisi. Mid-size coins were the Georgian imitations to the coins of Trebizond – kirmaneulis. Small size coins had an elongated shape with a distorted Arabic legend, on one of the coins there is a Muslim religious formula.
    In 1977 I. Dobrovolski published 15 samples of this hoard from numismatic collection of the Hermitage. According to Evg. Pakhomov’s information, in 1930 near Ambrolauri another hoard in a copper pot was found, which, as he thinks, is a part of the hoard found earlier. Apart from this, hoard of 21 silver coins kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia, again according to Evg. Pakhomov, should belong to Ambrolauri hoard.
    All the kirmaneulis are of late period and pierced, which attests to the fact that by the time they were buried they were not circulating.
    Abbasis were struck in the name of shah Abbas I, whereas the name of a mint can be read on six samples (Zagemi, Tbilisi, Tabriz). The date is not attested on any of them, but T. Kutelia thinks that they were struck before 1617.
    Elongated coins resemble silver bistis of Tahmasp I and are dated by 16th c.
The hoard was buried in early 17th c.
    2. 36 silver abbasis found in Ratcha (without date of finding) are kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia (GF. №№3571-3606). D. Kapanadze wrote in the inventory book that these coins were a part of Ambrolauri hoard. T. Kutelia agrees with this hypothesis.
    36 heavy coins from the hoard were struck in the name of shah Abbas I. The date A.H. 1020 (=1611/1612) is readable only on one sample. The mints are as follows: Ardebil, Yerevan, Zagemi, Ordu, Resht, Tbilisi, Tabriz, Maksi.
    According to T. Kutelia the hoard belongs to the second decade of the 17th c.
    3. 165 small elongated silver coins are kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia. Although exact place of their finding is unknown, T. Lomouri thinks this hoard to be a part of the hoard of Ambrolauri. T. Kutelia agrees with this suggestion. 
    Evg. Pakhomov thought them to be imitations to Tahmasp I’s coins. On some of the coins T. Lomouri and T. Kutelia read a date which refers to the reign of Tahmasp I.
    4. A clay pot with silver coins was found in 1970 in the ruins of Zagemi (Zakatala district, Aliabadi village) during land works. The coins were handed over to Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia in several phases – overall 196 samples (GF. №№13550-13556, GF. 13361-13549). 168 out of them are abbasis, 23 – mahmudis and 5 shahis. All of them were struck in the name of shah Abbas I in the following mints: Ardebil (2 samples), Ganja (16 samples), Daurak (1 sample), Yerevan (24 samples), Zagemi (8 samples), Ordu (1 sample), Ramhormizd (1 sample), Rasht (1 sample), Tabriz (34 samples), Tbilisi (2 samples), Teheran (1 sample), Huveiza (4 samples), Shusther (1 sample).
    The latest coin from the hoard was struck in A.H. 1023 (=1614/1615). Therefore, the hoard was buried in the second decade of the 17th c.
    5. A hoard of 179 silver coins was found in August 1895 in Chikaani village (Kvareli district). The hoard was sent to the Imperial Archaeological Commission. Its attribution was established by A. Markov. According to him, 17 samples were talers of Tirol (15, without date, belong to archduke Ferdninad, 2 – to the emperor Rudolf II struck in 1603, 1604), other 162 belong to the Safavids. Mints – Ardebil, A.H. 1012 (=1603/1604) – 1 sample; Ordu, A.H. 1020 (=1611/1612) – 10 samples; Ordu, dates are unreadable – 3 samples; Yerevan, date is unreadable – 1 sample; Tabriz, A.H. 1018 (=1609/1610) – 1 sample; Tabriz, A.H. 1019 (=1610/1611) – 3 samples; Tabriz, date is unreadable – 2 samples; Tbilisi, date (?) – 3 samples; Rem, A.H. 1011 (=1602/1603) – 6 samples; the same mint, date is unreadable – 20 samples; Qazvin, date (?) – 1 sample; Ganja, A.H. 1018 (=1609/1610) – 1 sample; Ganja, without date – 3 samples; Nakhchivan, date (?) – 1 sample. According to A. Markov, on 106 coins mint and date are unreadable.
    Another 10 talers and 42 coins, struck in the name of the Safavid shahs, were found in the same place in spring 1896. The coins were melted down.
    According to Evg. Pakhomov, the earliest coin of the hoard was struck in A.H. 1011 (=1602/1603), the latest – in A.H. 1020 (=1611/1612). Therefore, the hoard was buried in the first half of the 17th c. It is noteworthy, that on the coin where A. Markov read the mint name as Rem, T. Kutelia read Zagemi.
    6. 21 silver coins in a clay pot were found in 1967 in Birkiani village (Akhmeta district). The hoard is kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia.
    The hoard contains 13 abbasis, 6 mahmudis and 2 shahis. 11 samples were struck in the name of Safi I (1629-1642), 10 samples – in the name of Abbas II (1642-1667). 10 samples were struck at Tbilisi mint, at Zagemi – 2 samples, at Ganja – 1 sample, at Huveiza – 1 sample. The mint name is unreadable on 7 coins. The hoard, according to the latest coin, was buried in mid-17th c.
    The contents of this hoard are also important as they show that the coins struck at Tbilisi mint were predominant in the Eastern Georgia monetary circulation.
    7. A hoard of silver coins (overall 1800 gr.) found in 1940 in Norio village (Gardabani district) is kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia. Initially, 215 well-preserved coins were chosen and put into the inventory book (GF. №№2266-2480). 280 samples were kept in a separate box. Later on, their inventory making was implemented by   T. Kutelia (GF. №№13081-13360). Thus, 495 coins are kept at  Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia. Their absolute majority belong to shah Suleyman I (A.H. 1077-1105=1667-1694), 2 – to Abbas II and 1 – to Tahmasp I. This latter coin, most probably, was ascribed to the hoard accidentally and therefore can be ingnored.
    The earliest coin from the hoard was struck in the name of Abbas II (1642-1667), whereas the latest – in A.H. 1098 (=1686/1687). The date is read only on 163 coins, the name of the mint – on 242. Their majority – 222 samples – was struck at Tbilisi mint, 11 – at Ganja, 4 – at Huveiza, 3 – at Yerevan, 1 sample – at Qazvin and 1 sample – at Shemakha. Mint name is unreadable on 253 samples, but according to their weight and features, T. Kutelia thinks, their majority should have been struck at Tbilisi. According to her analysis, Tbilisi mint supplied enough coins for Eastern Georgia’s  market.
    There are four nominals in the hoard: abbasi, mahmudi, shahi and bisti. Overall there are 130 abbasis, out of which 82 were struck at Tbilisi, 5 – at Ganja, 2 – at Yerevan, 1 sample – at Shemakha and 1 sample – at Qazvin. The mint name is unreadable on 39 abbasis. There are 169 mahmudis, 88 were struck at Tbilisi, 3 – at Ganja, 1 – at Yerevan, 4 – at Huveiza, place of issue is unreadable on 73 samples. There are 195 shahis, 52 were struck at Tbilisi, 2 – at Ganja, on 141 the mint name is unreadable. The only bisti in the hoard was struck at Ganja.
    There are mainly those coins which were struck in A.H. 1086-1095 (=1675-1684), which correspond to the first reign of Giorgi XI (1676-1688) in Kartli. The hoard was buried after A.H. 1098 (=1686/1687).
    8. A hoard of the 16th-17th cc. Ottoman and Iranian silver coins, and  kirmaneulis (total number 500 samples) was found in 1895, near Kutaisi. According to Evg. Pakhomov, the hoard was transmitted to the Caucasian Museum.
    9. 17th c. Ottoman and Iranian small silver coins (total number 537) were found in 1913 near Batumi, on top of Sameba  hill, near the church (see the 17th c. Ottoman coins, №2). Among the coins there were 4 mahmudis and 1 shahi of shah Suleyman I (1667-1694). On one of the mahmudis there was a mint name, Tbilisi, and a date, A.H. 1098 (=1686/1687).
    10. A hoard of 20 Ottoman and Iranian silver coins was found in 1830-1835 in Saloghli village near Kazakh. Out of them 7 abbasis were struck at Tbilisi, Yerevan and Tabriz in 1712-1716, and 13 onliks of Ahmed III (1703-1730) were struck at the same cities. The hoard was handed over to Petersburg’s Asiatic Museum.
    11. A large hoard of silver coins was found either in 1929 or 1930 in Tbilisi near the sulphur baths. Out of them 15 coins were reviewed by D. Kapanadze. According to him, all the coins belonged to Tbilisi mint and were struck in the name of Husain I in A.H. 1130 (=1717/1718) and Nadir Shah in A.H. 1150 and 1151 (=1737-39).

b) Hoards of early 18th c. copper coins:

    The findings of the hoards of 17th-18th cc. copper coins are very rare. Their list is as follows:
    1. A clay pot was accidentally found during agricultural works in 1959 in Kandaura village (Gurjaani district). The pot contained 164 copper coins, out of which 30 are put into the inventory book of the Numismatic Collection of Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia (GF. №№11290-11319). 134 coins are kept at the same museum.
    According to T. Kutelia, the hoard contains double pulis (half bistis), struck at Tbilisi in A.H. 1112 (=1700/1701) (5 samples), A.H. 1114 (=1702/1703) (4 samples), A.H. 1120 (=1708/1709) (10 samples), A.H. 1124 (1712/1713) (45 samples); the remaining 100 samples were struck in A.H. 1130-1131 (=1717/18-1718/19) in the name of Bakar, ruler of Kartli. The hoard was buried after 1719.
    2. 25 copper coins were accidentally found in 1962 in Ateni village (Gori district). The hoard is nowadays kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia (GF. №№11582-11606) and consists of double pulis struck at Tbilisi in A.H. 1112 (=1700/1701) (1 sample), 1114 (=1702/1703) (1 sample), 1120 (=1708/1709) (3 samples), 1124 (1712/1713) (6 samples), 1130-31 (=1717/18-1718/19) (14 samples). The hoard was buried synchronously with Kandaura hoard. 
    3. A hoard of 60 copper coins was found in 1963 during agricultural works in Disevi village (Znauri district). The hoard is kept at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia (GF. №№11215-11274). The hoard contains double pulis, struck at Tbilisi in A.H. 1114 (=1702/1703) (9 samples), A.H. 1120 (=1708/1709) (6 samples), A.H. 1124 (1712/1713) (20 samples) and A.H. 1130 (=1717/1718) (25 samples). The hoard, it seems, was buried after 1718.
    4. A copper vessel with 22 coins was found by D. Kapanadze in Tsaghvli village (Khashuri district). Nowadays the hoard is kept at  Khashuri Historical Museum. The hoard consists of double pulis, issued in the following years: A.H. 1112 (=1700/1701) – 1 sample, A.H. 1120 (=1708/1709) – 1 sample, A.H. 1124 (=1712/1713) – 5 samples, A.H. 1130 (=1717/1718) – 7 samples, A.H. 1131 (=1718/1719) – 4 samples; and pulis  dated by A.H. 1124 (=1712/1713) – 2 samples, A.H. 1130-1131 (=1717/1718-1718/1719) – 2 samples. The hoard was buried after 1719.
    5. 60 copper coins entered the Hermitage in 1939. According to I. Dobrovolsky, museum worker, the coins constitute a hoard and should derive from the South Caucasus. The hoard consists of the 18th c. coins struck at Tbilisi. The earliest coin was struck in A.H. 1114 (=1702/1703), the latest – in A.H. 1179 (=1765/1766). The hoard was buried in the second half of the 18th c.

List of the 17th-18th cc. European coins found in Georgia:

    Since the findings of hoards of the 17th-18th cc. European coins in Georgia are rare, and in some cases, their full contents are unknown to us, we give a list of separately found coins too to reconstruct the entire picture. According to the statement of R. Kebuladze, there are 28 cases of findings of European coins on Georgian soil:
    1. 414 European silver coins (overall weight 8,5 kg.) were found in 1953 in Makharadze (Ozurgeti). The coins were in a copper vessel. 270 coins from the hoard were given to Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia, whereas 144 samples – to Ozurgeti Historical Museum. According to the contents, the hoard is divided into three parts: Austrian, Italian and Spanish coins. The majority of the talers belongs to the Austrian archdukes Ferdinand (1564-1595), Maximilian (1612-1618), Leopold (1619-1632) and German emperors Rudolf II (1576-1612) and Ferdinand II (1619-1637), struck at Halle, Ensisheim, Gratz etc. Italian talers, or ducatos and taleros were srtuck in the name of doge Pasquale Cicogna (1585-1595), Ferdinando I (1587-1608), Kosimo II (1608-1621) and Ferdinando II (1621-1670) Medici. Spanish coins, struck both in Spain and Spain’s American colonies, belong to Philip II (1556-1598), Philip III (1598-1621) and Philip IV (1621-1665). The earliest coin, taler of archduke Ferdinand, was struck in 1564-1595, whereas the latest, peso of Philip IV – in 1628. The chronological frame of the hoard is established by 64 years. The hoard was buried in the 20s of the 17th c.
    2. 29 coins were found in 1932 in Ude village (Adigeni district) in the ruins of an old fortress. 28 coins are silver and European, whereas 1 sample – Ottoman altun. The contents of the hoard are as follows: Austria, archduke Ferdinand (1564-1595), Halle – 2 samples; Hungary, emperor Rudolf II (1576-1612), Kremnitz – 2 samples; Dutch republic, province of Zeeland, Middelburg – 3 samples; province of Overijssel, Matthias I (1612-1619), Kampen – 6 samples; Spain, struck for Mexico, Philip III (1598-1621) – 15 samples; 1 altun of Ottoman sultan Murad III (1574-1595), struck at Misr. According to the latest coin, the hoard was buried in the 20s of the 17th c.
    3. 2 late 16th-early 17th cc. Dutch levendaalders, found in Eastern Georgia, entered Simon Janashia State Museum of Georgia in 1965. The coins were damaged by the finders.
    4. A taler, struck in 1653 in Hungary by emperor Ferdinand III (1637-1657), was found in 1904 in Khudadovi forest, Tbilisi.
    5. A Dutch daalder, struck in 1652, was found in the 40s of the 19th c. near Bombori village, Abkhazeti.
    6. A hoard of 179 silver coins was accidentally found in 1895 near Chikaani village (Kvareli district). They were sent to Petersburg, to the Imperial Archaeological Commission, where A. Markov established their attribution. 17 samples were talers of Tirol, 15 samples belong to archduke Ferdinand (1564-1595) (without date), 2 samples – to the emperor Rudolf II (struck in 1603, 1604). The remaining 162 samples belong to the Iranian Safavids and are struck at different mints (see 17th-18th cc. Iranian silver coins, №5). The date is unreadable on 106 samples out of 162 coins. However, out of those coins where the date is readable, the latest was struck in A.H. 1020 (=1611/1612).
    10 talers and 42 Safavid coins were found in 1896 in the same place. The coins were reminted.
    The hoard was probably buried in the first quarter of the 17th c.
    7. Taler, without date, of archduke Ferdinand was found in the 19th c. near Gombori village (Sagarejo district).
    8. A hoard of the 17th c. European coins was found in the 10s of the 20th c. in Melekeduri village (Ozurgeti district). Among the coins, there was one sample, which, according to Evg. Pakhomov, was a Spanish peso.
    9. A Spanish peso (date is unknown) was found in 1942-1943 in Kutaisi.
    10. 16th-17th cc. Spanish pesos were found in 1955 in Urta village (Ochamchire district).
    11. 17th c. Spanish peso was found in 1959 near Lekhaindrao village (Gegechkori/ Martvili district).
    12. An undated taler of archduke Ferdinand was given to  Tskneti village school teacher A. Kekelia in 1964. Taler had been found in the village.
    13. A clay vessel with a hoard of silver coins was found in 1960 in Akhaltsikhe during construction works. The hoard contained 3 Austrian talers of 1620-1626, about 60 Spanish pesos of late 16th-early 17th cc. and 6 onliks of Ottoman sultan Ahmet III (1703-1730) (see 18th c. Ottoman coins, №4). The hoard was probably buried in late 20s of the 18th c. The hoard is kept at Akhaltsikhe Historical Museum.
    14. 21 gold coins were found in November 1941 in Kutaisi, during construction works in the Catholic church yard (see 18th c. Ottoman coins, №1). The hoard contains Venetian  ducats (8 samples) and Ottoman altuns (13 samples). The ducats were struck in the name of the following doges: Giovanni Corner (1709-1722) – 4 samples, Sebastiano Mocenigo (1722-1731) – 2 samples and Carlo Ruzini (1731-1735) – 2 samples. The Ottoman altuns belong to the sultan Ahmet III (1703-1730) and Mahmud I (1730-1754). The hoard was probably buried in the late 30s of the 18th c.
    15. Dutch ducat, dated by 1752, was found in 1965 in Patardzeuli village (Sagarejo district).
    16. Ducats of Alvise Mocenigo (1763-1779) were found in 1927 in Neidorf village (Sokhumi district).
    17. A fragment of a ducat of Giovanni Corner (1709-1722) was found in 1939 in Ananuri village (Dusheti district) in an old fortress.
    Afterwards R. Kebuladze separately reviews and lists small nominals of European silver coins. According to him, in Georgia, apart from the gold ducats and talers, there were also small silver nominals in circulation, specifically ortas and poltoraks of Poland-Lithuania and Brandenburg-Prussia. In Brandenburg-Prussia the poltoraks are known as dreipolkers.  Here is the list of coins (numeration continues):
    18. 33 European silver coins were found in 1954 in Zestaponi in the nonferrous factory during land works. The hoard consists of Polish (30) and Brandenburg-Prussian ortas. Polish coins were struck in 1621-1626 at Bydgoszcz and Gdansk in the name of Sigismund III (1587-1632), whereas the coins from Brandenburg-Prussia were struck in 1622-1624 at Crossen in the name of the elector Georg Wilhelm (1619-1640). The chronological range of the hoard is 5 years and it was buried after 1626.
    19. More than 25 Polish ortas were found in 1955 in Shindisi village (Samgori district) during agricultural works. Out of this hoard 3 coins entered Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia. All the coins belong to Sigismund III (1587-1632) and are struck in 1623 in Gdansk, in 1624 in Bydgoszcz  and in 1625 in Gdansk.
    20. 22 European silver coins were found in 1942 in Tbilisi on the territory of the former tram parc, during reconstruction works.   The hoard consisted of Polish poltoraks and Brandenburg-Prussian dreipolkers. Out of this number 19 samples belong to the Polish king Sigismund III (1587-1632) and are struck at Bydgoszcz, whereas 3 samples belong to the elector of Brandenburg-Prussia Georg Wilhelm (1619-1640) and are struck at Crossen. The hoard was buried in the second half of the 17th c.
     21. A hoard of silver coins was found in 1958 in Chanchati village (Lanchkhuti district) during agricultural works. The hoard included 2 ortas of Sigismund III (1587-1632), struck in 1622-1623 at Bydgoszcz, 24 akçes of Ahmet III (1703-1730) and 58 akçes of Mahmud I (1730-1757) (see 18th c. Ottoman coins, №7). The hoard was buried in the second half of the 18th c.
    22. Spanish, Dutch, French, Polish and Tirolean coins were found (one sample each) in 1895 in Tskordza village (near Akhaltsikhe). The dates are not specified.
    23.  A hoard of Polish coins was found in the 1900s in the outskirts of Zedaubani village (Makharadze/Ozurgeti district), during agricultural works. No specific information is provided in the scholarly literature.
    24. A Polish silver coin was found in 1944 near Jagira village (Tsalenjikha district).
    25. A hoard of silver coins was found in 1945-1950 in Western Georgia. The hoard was divided among the finders. Two samples were handed over to the State Museum of Georgia. The coins belong to Sigismund III and Georg Wilhelm of Brandenburg.
    26. Orta of Sigismund III, dated by 1624, was found in 1950 in Nojikhevi village (Gegechkori/Martvili district).
    27. Orta of Sigismund III was found in 1956 in Tiseli village (Akhaltsikhe district).
    28. A hoard of Polish coins was found in 1960-1963 in Abastumani forest during the construction works. The hoard was purchased by Akhaltsikhe Historical Museum. It contained the ortas dated by 1622-1626 and struck in Bydgoszcz and Gdansk.