Discovery coin: an akçe of a rebel against Ottoman rule

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https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=222065

It took five years and a long discussion on Zeno to identify this coin, but now its identification is complete. The thread is a feast for those who read Arabic because of the extensive comments. Thank you @charm.

Have fun,

Peter

[aws22]

Dear Peter, coin details:
Ottoman, Savcı bin Sultan Murad I bin Orkhan, Date?, Silver Akçe, mint? (AH 763-791/1362-1389 AD)
Reverse (Left photo): inside pointed hexafoil:
ساوجى بن مراد   , Savcı bin Murad
خلد الله ملكه  , kallada Allah mulkahu (may God perpetuate his reign)
Obverse (Right photo): Within polylobe, Kalima:
لا اله الا الله , La Ilah Illa Allah
محمد  , Muhammad
رسول الله  , Rasul Allah
Murad I bin Orkhan (مراد بن اورخان  , nicknamed Hüdavendigar, خداوندگار, lit. 'the devotee of God', meaning "sovereign" in this context), he was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1362 to 1389. He was the son of Orkhan Ghazi (اورخان غازى).
Savcı Çelebi Bey (صاووجي جلبي بك) was a prince who, with Andronikos, rebelled against both of their fathers, the Ottoman Sultan Murad I and the Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos, respectively, in the 1370s. Savcı was the youngest of Murad's three sons. He died in 1374.

Maythem

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Savcı Çelebi Bey (صاووجي جلبي بك) was a prince who, with Andronikos, rebelled against both of their fathers, the Ottoman Sultan Murad I and the Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos, respectively, in the 1370s.

I asked ChatGPT: "Was it a mere coincidence or were the two in contact or even plotting together?"

ChatGPT: The near-contemporary rebellions of Şehzade Savcı Bey, the son of Ottoman Sultan Murad I, and Andronikos IV Palaiologos, the son of Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos, are intriguing and have sparked speculation about possible connections. However, historical evidence strongly suggests that these rebellions were not coordinated efforts but rather separate, albeit parallel, events influenced by the turbulent political climate of the time.

Şehzade Savcı Bey's Rebellion (1373)
Savcı Bey rebelled against his father, Murad I, in 1373. The motivation for his rebellion seems to have been personal ambition, as he sought to seize power before his father's death, which was not uncommon in the Ottoman succession system. The rebellion was short-lived, as Murad I quickly crushed it, leading to Savcı Bey's execution.

Andronikos IV Palaiologos' Rebellion (1373)
Around the same time, Andronikos IV rebelled against his father, John V Palaiologos. Andronikos IV's rebellion was driven by a mix of personal ambition and political instability within the Byzantine Empire. Like Savcı Bey, Andronikos IV sought to take power prematurely, but his rebellion also ended in failure. John V defeated his son and initially imprisoned him, though Andronikos IV later escaped and continued to challenge his father's authority.

Potential Connections
Despite the coincidences in timing, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that Savcı Bey and Andronikos IV were in contact or plotting together. While both the Ottoman and Byzantine courts were aware of each other and engaged in diplomacy and warfare, the rebellions appear to have been motivated by internal factors specific to each prince's circumstances.

However, it is possible that each prince was aware of the other's rebellion, considering the proximity of the Ottoman and Byzantine empires and the frequent interactions between them. But this awareness does not necessarily imply coordination. The similarity in their actions might reflect a broader pattern of dynastic struggles during the period, rather than a direct collaboration.

What a fascinating piece of history this is! Even when it is a coincidence, the two young princes in neighbouring countries must have felt a degree of empathy for each other. Together, they might have changed the course of history.

Peter