The Ottomans were able to reach
the precious silver and copper metals, which were mined during the
Selcuklu period as well as before in the eastern part of Anatolia
not before an era in the first quarter of 16th century.
On the other hand, they had better facilities and possibilities to
conquer in the Balkans. The Ottomans invaded the silver mines in
Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia from 1390 to 1460. These actions
could be followed from the dates of the coins minted in these
minting centers. These mintages were seen respectively in Serez in
H816/1413, in Skopje in H826/1422 and in Nova Berde in H834/1430.
Although Kratova and Serbernika were conquered in 1460, golden and
silver coins were minted in Sidrakapri at the end of the 15th
century, and Serbernika at the beginning of the 16th
century. Furthermore, the Ottomans minted coins in Kucayna, Kosova
(Piristina), Filibe, Sofia, Saray, Bosna, Mudova (Romania –
Moldova) and Banaluka.
The Ottomans banned the export of
silver abroad after they obtained the silver mines in Serbia and
Bosnia in 1450 and in 1460. Venice, the northern and southern
parts of Europe were affected by metal shortage until silver mines
in Bohemia and Sakson, were found in 1470 and 1480.
The mines in Sidrekapsi had the
most fertile ones at the very beginning of the 16th
century. It was estimated that the amount of approximately 6 tons
of silver was mined in this area. Nova Brdo was mined as almost
the same amount. It was predicted that the annual production was
26-27 tons in the middle of the 16th century. When
silver came from America to Europe, the production of silver began
to decrease starting from the beginning of 16th
century. Yet, the Ottomans continued to act similarly starting
from the very beginning of the 17th century.
All in all, it was believed that
the production of silver in Serbennika increased from 2,5 tons to
5-6 tons at the beginning of the 16th century.
Similarly, it was calculated that 7.5 - 9 tons of silver was
produced here by considering the annual income of Nova Brdo in
those days.
J. Tadic calculated that almost
25,000 k silver valued more than 500,000 duka was exported only
through Ragusa by assuming that 40 firms were active which were
mined under similar conditions. Considering the fact of the
production of silver weighted 25,000 from the various mines in
Serbia, Bosnia, and Macedonia, which were under the superiority of
the Ottomans, we can assume that 50 tons of production was done in
the Balkans under the sovereignty of the Ottomans together with
the production in Sidrekapsi in the middle of the 16th
century. Evidently, we should accept that the estimated amount of
50 tons of silver production in the Balkans under the sovereignty
of the Ottomans predicted by Rheodes Murphy was realistic.
When the data about Serbernika and
Nova Brdo was compared, it was concluded that the silver
production in Serbia and Bosnia in the first half of the 15th
century was not less than 10 tons. The data given above was
elicited from the valuable study done by Sima Cirkovic about the
production of the precious metals minted in the middle of the
Balkans. 3
The shortage of silver in Europe
at the very beginning of the 15th century for 20 years
and in the middle of the same century for 30 years was very
severe. The reasons of it originated from the fact that the mines
in Bohemia and Hungary were not able to supply the increasing
demands. The payment in commerce in the Eastern Mediterranean and
Asia were paid in precious metals. The precious metals in Serbia
and Bosnia were directed to Venice first then to eastern
Mediterranean through Ragusa starting from 1370s. The export of
precious metals was banned when the Ottomans came here. When these
resources were stopped, the Memluks stopped minting silver. The
increase in the forfeiting Esrefies in Egypt and dukas in the
Eastern Mediterranean originated from the flow of the precious
metals from the west to the east. 4
