ANKARA - Prominent Turkish numismatist has decided to sell his Ottoman banknotes collection, the most comprehensive collection of Ottoman-era banknotes in the world, in an international auction.
Mehmet Tezcakin, a third generation member of the family that owns the historic meatball restaurant in Istanbul's Sultanahmet district known as "Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi", put his collection for sale through London-based auction company Spink after his initiatives to keep the collection in Turkey failed.
In an interview with the A.A, Tezcakin said, "I started collecting Ottoman banknotes with a few ones I inherited from my grandfather some 20 years ago. For two decades,I have gathered almost all types of Ottoman banknotes that entered circulation."
"I decided to put the collection up for sale six months ago to afford passing on our restaurant to the next generation. Since I do not prefer that someone from abroad purchases this collection, I tried to sell it in Turkey as a whole. But, I could not find a purchaser. Now, this unique collection will be sold in an international auction. Israeli and Arab numismatists have showed great interest in the collection," he said.
The collection includes many unique samples such as the first handwritten banknote of the Ottoman Empire, the first counterfeit Ottoman banknote dated 1870 and the world's one and only paper currency printed in four separate languages (Ottoman, French, Greek and Armenian).
Saudi Arabian numismatist Ahmad al Jafari offered 1 million USD to purchase 25 pieces from the collection.
(UK)
(GEN)