The sultani was the Ottoman Empire’s gold coin introduced during the reign of Mehmed II.
Mehmed II, also known as Mehmed the Conqueror, captured Constantinople in 1453 and reorganized the Ottoman state’s finances. The gold sultani was first struck in the 1470s, during his reign, and was modeled partly on the widely circulated Venetian ducat.
The coin usually carried Arabic inscriptions identifying the sultan and the mint rather than a portrait. Its dependable gold content made it useful for high-value payments, international trade, and state finance. Different reigns and mints produced variations in design and weight.
The sultani is sometimes loosely called an Ottoman ducat, but that description refers to its approximate role and appearance, not its official name. The akçe was a much smaller Ottoman silver coin, while the kuruş became especially important in later Ottoman monetary reforms.