Akçe (Mehmed II, first reign)
1444–46 ・ silver ・ 15th century ・ Ottoman Empire
An akçe struck during the first reign of Mehmed II (1444–46). Inside a dotted circle, a calligraphic inscription runs diagonally. The name akçe, meaning "whitish," was a nickname for the small silver coin, which was initially made of high-purity silver weighing approximately 1.14 grams. How long this whiteness could be maintained—that is the question that runs through the 700 years of this section.