2020-01-02 Thu

Mehmed IV was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire reigning from 1684 to 1687. His reign was marked first by administrative and financial decay and later by a period of revival under the able Koprulu viziers. Mehmed IV, however, devoted himself to hunting rather than to affairs of state.

He came to the throne at the age of six after his father was overthrown in a coup. Mehmed went on to become the second-longest reigning sultan in Ottoman history after Suleiman the Magnificent. Mehmed IV was known by contemporaries as a particularly pious ruler and was referred to as Gazi, or "holy warrior" for his role in the many conquests carried out during his long reign. Under his reign, the empire reached the height of its territorial expansion in Europe.

The above shown silver Beshlik was issued under his reign from Tarabalus Gharb mint. The obverse of a coin depicts the legend ‘Sultan Muhammad Khan Bin Ibrahim’ (Sultan Mehmed Khan Bin Ibrahim). The reverse of a coin engraved ‘Tarabalus Zarb Fi Gharb’.

Image Source: Heritage Auctions