Ottoman Commercial Promissory Note 1923 Mersin Empire Business

Ottoman Commercial Promissory Note – Mersin (1923)

Description:

This Ottoman-era document is a commercial promissory note (senet) reflecting business life in the port city of Mersin during the late Ottoman / early Republican transition period. The printed letterhead at the top reads Hacıdedezade Said Arif ve Said Ömer, identifying the issuing firm, with the address clearly stated as Commission Agent, Mersin, Taşhan Altı, No. 967 a well-known commercial area of the city.

The document records the purchase of a reaping machine (biçer orak makinesi) by Hacı Ali Çavuş, son of Ömer Efendi, from Said Arif and Said Ömer Bey for a total price of 190 lira. Half of this amount was paid in cash, while the remaining balance was formalized through this 90-lira promissory note, with the buyer committing to pay the debt within 60 days from the date of the note.

A particularly striking clause states that if the debt is not paid by the specified date, the amount will be collected as 95 lira, without the need for formal protest, reflecting common commercial enforcement practices of the period. The document is stamped and sealed, confirming its legal validity. Dated 26 May 1339 (26 May 1923), it offers a vivid glimpse into agricultural mechanization, credit systems, and merchant activity in Mersin at the very end of the Ottoman documentary tradition.

Key Features:

• Document Type: Ottoman commercial promissory note (senet)

• Date: 26 May 1339 / 26 May 1923

• Issuing Firm: Hacıdedezade Said Arif ve Said Ömer

• Business Address: Taşhan Altı, No. 967, Mersin

• Buyer (Debtor): Hacı Ali Çavuş, son of Ömer Efendi

• Item Purchased: Reaping machine (biçer orak makinesi)

• Total Purchase Price: 190 lira

• Cash Paid: Half of the amount upfront

• Promissory Note Amount: 90 lira

• Payment Term: 60 days from issue date

• Penalty Clause: 95 lira collectible without protest if unpaid

• Authentication: Revenue stamps and official seals present

• Historical Significance: Illustrates agricultural trade, credit practices, and commercial life in early 20th-century Mersin