Ottoman 1868 Receipt Acknowledgment for Returned Personal Funds of Perdahcı Salih

Receipt Acknowledgment for Returned Personal Funds of Perdahcı Salih (1868)

Description:

This Ottoman Turkish document is a handwritten receipt and acknowledgment dated 16 Rabi' al-Awwal 1285 (7 July 1868). Written by a craftsman identified as Perdahcı Salih, the document confirms that he received in full the money that had previously been placed in the custody of the state treasury (Canib-i Emanet) following his detention.

In the Ottoman Empire, a perdahcı was a skilled artisan responsible for the final finishing and polishing of materials such as textiles, leather, metal, or stone. By smoothing surfaces and applying the final polish, these craftsmen played an important role in a wide range of traditional industries and workshops. The document therefore offers a rare glimpse into the life of an ordinary Ottoman artisan and his interaction with the judicial and administrative system.

According to the text, when Perdahcı Salih was taken into custody, the money found in his possession was deposited with the Canib-i Emanet (state treasury) for safekeeping. Following the conclusion of the matter, Salih submitted this written declaration stating that he had received all of his money back completely and without deficiency. Such acknowledgments were commonly prepared to confirm that property held by the authorities had been returned to its rightful owner, thereby protecting both the individual and the state administration from future disputes.

The document contains a detailed inventory of the returned currency, offering valuable evidence of the diverse monetary circulation within the Ottoman Empire during the mid-nineteenth century. The listed funds include two 100-kuruş gold coins, one half 100-kuruş gold coin (nısf), one French gold lira, one rub'u (quarter gold coin), one quarter of a 100-kuruş gold coin, and four white twenty-kuruş Mecidiye coins. The inclusion of both Ottoman and foreign currency illustrates the variety of coins that circulated in everyday commercial life and reflects the interconnected monetary economy of the period.

Bearing its original official seals, this document is an excellent example of Ottoman legal and administrative practice. Beyond its judicial context, it provides valuable insight into the property rights of individuals, the handling of personal belongings during detention, and the monetary system of the Ottoman Empire in the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz.

For collectors and researchers, this is an exceptional historical document illustrating Ottoman legal administration, nineteenth-century monetary history, and the everyday experiences of a skilled artisan within the Ottoman judicial system.

Key Features:

• Type: Ottoman receipt and acknowledgment document

• Date: 16 Rabi' al-Awwal 1285 (7 July 1868)

• Language: Ottoman Turkish

• Author: Perdahcı Salih

• Subject: Acknowledgment of the full return of personal funds deposited with the Canib-i Emanet following detention

• Institution: Canib-i Emanet (State Treasury)

• Currency Listed: Two 100-kuruş gold coins, one half 100-kuruş gold coin (nısf), one French gold lira, one rub'u (quarter gold coin), one quarter 100-kuruş gold coin, and four white twenty-kuruş Mecidiye coins

• Historical Context: Documents the Ottoman practice of safeguarding and returning personal property held during detention while providing a rare record of the variety of Ottoman and foreign coins circulating in everyday life during the mid-nineteenth century

• Physical Features: Original official seals

• Collectible Significance: Valuable for collectors of Ottoman legal documents, Ottoman numismatics, nineteenth-century monetary history, artisan history, and Ottoman administrative ephemera