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| Issuer | Hazine-i Maliye (Ottoman Ministry of Finance) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Lira (1844-1923) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | دولت عثمانيه |
| Reverse description | The reverse is essentially blank, as this is a uniface note. The plain paper surface shows faint impressions from the obverse printing, with no intentional design or text applied to this side. |
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| Comments |
The Ottoman wartime paper issues of 1915 were a direct consequence of the empire's inability to maintain metallic currency in circulation once World War I began. Coin hoarding was immediate and severe, forcing the Hazine-i Maliye to flood the market with fractional notes to handle everyday transactions. The quarter-livre sat at the bottom of the series, intended for small commerce, but the public's distrust of government paper — earned through decades of Ottoman financial instability — meant many were simply tucked away rather than spent.
These low-denomination notes suffered disproportionate attrition when they did circulate, passing through many hands quickly. The wartime printing quality was inconsistent throughout the series.