Murad IV, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire who ruled the Empire from 1623 to 1640, was born today on 27th July 1612. He is known for restoring the authority of the state and for the brutality of his methods.

Murad IV was born in Istanbul to Sultan Ahmed I and Kosem Sultan. He was only 11 when he ascended the throne. His reign is most notable for the Ottoman Safavid War, against Persia (today Iran) in which Ottoman forces managed to conquer Azerbaijan, occupying Tabriz, Hamadan, and capturing Baghdad in 1638.

Murad IV himself commanded the Ottoman army in the last years of the war. During the reign, he issued gold and silver coins from various mints such as Amid, Ankara, Belgrad, Bursa, Sofia, Kibris, Edrine, Tire, etc. These coins were issued in the denomination of Akce, Altin, Onluk, and Para.

The above shown silver Uthmani issued under his reign from Sana mint. The obverse of a coin depicts the Persian legend ‘As Sultan Murad Bin Amed Khan’. On the other hand, the reverse of a coin has ‘Zarb Sana’.

Image Source: Heritage Auctions