SILVER AKCE 16mm x 12mm .73g 3h STRUCK IN KAFFA IN THE YEAR AH904 = AUGUST 19 1498 - AUG 7 1499STRUCK BY MENGLI GIRAY 1466-1514 OF THE CRIMEAN GIRAY KHANSCATALOGED AS A2070 RETOWSKI 155/157 SUPERB STRIKE FOR THESE VF+ PURCH FROM STEVE ALBUMDATE WRITTEN IN ODD STYLE RATED RR FOR SHAPE AND STYLE HISTORICAL NOTES:THE TARTAR KHANATE OF CRIMEA WAS A REMNANT OF THE GOLDEN HORDE, THE NORTHWEST DIVISION OF THE MONGOL EMPIRE FOUNDED AROUND 1200 AD. HAJJI GIRAY, A NINTH GENERATION DESCENDANT OF GENGHIS KHAN, ROSE TO POWER IN 1420 AND PROCLAIMED HIMSELF INDEPENDENT RULER IN 1449. WHEN HAJJI DIED IN 1466, HIS SON MENGLI SEIZED POWER FROM HIS ELDER BROTHER, NUR. A HUGE OTTOMAN ARMY ARRIVED IN 1475 AND IMPRISONED MENGLI FOR 3 YEARS. IN 1478, SULTAN MEHMET II RELEASED MENGLI, WHO ALLIGNED HIMSELF WITH IVAN III OF MOSCOW AND STARTED INVADING POLISH AND LITHUANIAN TERRITORIES AND EVENTUALLY WAGED WAR WITH MOSCOW ITSELF. MENGLI DIED IN 1515, BUT THE GIRAY KHANATE STAYED STRONG UNTIL THE FALL OF CRIMEA IN 1783. KAFFA: THEODOCIA WAS FOUNDED c600 BC BY GREEK COLONISTS FROM MILETOS. IT WAS DESTROYED IN THE 4TH CENTURY AD BY THE HUNS AND REMAINED A MINOR VILLAGE FOR THE NEXT 900 YEARS. IT PASSED FROM THE BYZANTINES TO THE GOLDEN HORDE AND THEN WAS PURCHASED BY TRADERS FROM GENOA, AND THE NEWLY NAMED TOWN OF KAFFA MONOPOLIZED TRADE IN THE BLACK SEA, AND HAD EUROPE'S LARGEST SLAVE MARKET. IN 1347, THE BLACK DEATH ENTERED EUROPE THROUGH KAFFA.