A historical Turkish monetary unit that was used in the Ottoman Empire.
From Turkish 'akçe' or through Arabic roots, the asper was a silver coin. The name reflects the Ottoman monetary system and traveled into European languages through trade and diplomatic contact during centuries of Ottoman-European interaction.
The asper was so commonly used in Mediterranean trade that it became the standard currency reference point for European merchants dealing with the Ottoman Empire, making it one of history's most important coins even though few people remember it today.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.