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There
were active silver mines in Europe in Saksonia (Schneeberg,
Annaberg, Marienberg), in Thuringia (Eisleben, Hettstedt), in
Austria Tirol (Schwarz region), Bohemia (Joachimsthal, Kutna Hora,
Kasperska Hora), in Slovaki (Thurzo-Fugger co), and in Hungary
(Naggbanya and Kormocbanya). The related information about these
mines was given in the study published by one of the Professors of
University of Toronto, namely John H. Munro. 5. In this
valuable study, an estimated production data of these mines from
1470 to 1550 was given by using various resources. Although it was
expected that the production in precious metals in Europe by 1550
would lead naturally inflation, and indirectly the prices in
furniture would increase, the expected rise in prices did not come
true. It was originated from the fact that the prices were paid in
silver, gold and copper in east-west trade for the products
brought from the east. Statistically, the data about silver
production of above metals was given as 13 tons in 1470, 20 tons
in 1480, 25 tons in 1495, 30 tons in 1570, 35 tons
in 1520, 40 tons in 1525, 50 tons 1535, 55 tons in 1540
respectively. In the same period, approximately annually 5 tons of
silver were produced in Flander and Brabant. In 1540s,
approximately 20 tons of silver annually were produced in England.
Silver
gradually flew from America to Spain after 1550 increased to 65
tons in 1550, 75 tons in 1560, 85 tons in 1565, 141 tons in
1980, 205 tons in 1590 and 223 tons in 1600. In those days, 5
tons of gold in 1550, 4 tons in 1560, and in the following years
about 1 ton of gold by 1600 came in great amounts to
Europe. Then, inflation started to show up its effects in daily
life. These effects were also experienced in the Ottoman Empire as
well. The weight of akce was decreased 5 times as a result of
inflation, and it caused some social conflicts in the country.
6
It
could be observed in the early periods
of the Balkans under the sovereignty of the Ottomans that they
made strenuous efforts to increase the production in the mines
in this region, which were invaded by the Ottomans in order
to overcome stagnation. In the current
documents dated 15th and 16th centuries, some detailed information
about mining techniques, mining bans and economic relations are
given. Most of the terms in the documents were adopted from Slav
and German languages. There were all kinds of information given
about from drilling for the newly opening wells to how the wells
would be opened, from contribution to the well partnership
interest to sharing the income obtained from the wells, from the
equipment used to dig wells to the debts of the wells, from
exhausting the water in a well to how base mine ores would be
broken under the combination of cold-hot effect, from how to share
the canals opened to connect from one well to another to
determining the wages of the workers working in a well, from
machine wheels to how mine ores would be taken out of the wells.
Moreover, during the reign of Sultan Fatih, any details about
Seribernice Mining Bans were written in Bosna Sancagi Rule Book
whereas Ruddnik, Zaplanina ve Planina Mining Bans in Serbia
Sancagi Rule Book, Sidrekapsi Mining Bans in Thessaloniki Sancagi
Rule Book, Serez (Siroz) minting rules in Serez Sancagi Rule Book,
Novarberde Mining Wells Rule Book and Bans in Bulcitrin Sancagi
Rule Book, Kratova Mining Rule Book and Bans in Skopje Sancagi
Rule Book were written all in details.7
Furthrmore,
during the reign of Sultan Bayazid, there was information given
not only about the mines minted during the era of Sultan Fatih but
also about the mines in Serapnic in Izvornik Sancagi, in Cernice,
in Sas, in Kopnice, in Girmik, in Oluk, in Sirnice Kostendil in
Manastir Sancagi in addition to the mines in Yerkofca, in Tirepce,
in Yanova and in Belasica. 7
In addition to that, we have a wide range
of information about mines and mintages in the Balkans. In short,
the Ottomans took everything under control by using particular
laws. All these documents are all there waiting for our historians
and numismats to draw their interest.
Conversely the Ragusians used to control the mines here before the
Ottomans, Macedonians, Serbians and Bosnians took the superiority
of these lands. The beginning of the mining in the Balkans was
about Saxons who brought mining techniques, fundamental laws and
basics to these lands. To exemplify, Kratova Mine in Macedonia was
run approximately 500 years. In 1254, Brskova, which was situated
on the upper side of Tara River in a mountaineering area which
could be reached with difficulty, was one of the first mines run
accordingly. Nova Brdo which was opened between 1301 and 1319 was
also one of the first mines. In the 14th century, in
Kopaonik region, basically Koporic, Plana, Ostraca, and Drine in
Basin (Tiresnjica, Lipinik, Serbenca) (1352), Ostruznica in Bosnia
(1349), Fornica (1365) and Siderkapsa used to have mining
techniques and German Slav terminology. Silver and copper were
produced in Ciporovci which was situated on the skirts of the
Balkan Mountains. Additionally, the progress of the copper mine
near Samabor increased with the migration of German miners in
1565.3 |
