II. Abdul-Hamid was born on September 21, 1842 in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). He was the third son of Sultan Abdülaziz I. He spent his childhood in the Topkapı Palace, where he received a careful education in history, politics and religion. He came to power in 1876, after the short reign of his brother, Sultan Murad V. II. Abdul-Hamid ruled for 33 years, the longest reign in Ottoman history. During his reign, the Ottoman Empire began a severe decline and faced many external and internal challenges. The great powers, such as Russia, Austria-Hungary and Great Britain, all exerted increasing influence on the empire. Nationalist movements arose within the empire, which fought against the Ottoman rule. II. Abdul-Hamid was an autocratic ruler who tightly controlled power. He suppressed the political opposition and centralized the administration of the empire. He promoted a policy of pan-Islamism, the aim of which was to unify the Muslim world under Ottoman leadership. He also made attempts at modernization, for example, he introduced railway lines and the telegraph. II. Abdul-Hamid is a controversial figure in Ottoman history. Some hold him responsible for the decline of the empire, while others praise him for his commitment to modernization and Muslim unity. His reign was a period of growing influence of the Great Powers and the rise of nationalist movements. In 1909, the Young Turk Revolution was overthrown and forced into exile. He died in exile in Thessaloniki (now Greece) in 1918. Egypt was nominally part of the Ottoman Empire during World War II. During the reign of Abdul-Hamid. In reality, however, the Pasha of Egypt, Khedive Khedive Ismail (1867-1879) and his successors had considerable autonomy. II. Abdul-Hamid tried to regain control over Egypt, but was unsuccessful due to the resistance of Khedive Tewfik (1879-1892). British troops invaded Egypt in 1882, ending Ottoman rule.

II. During the reign of Sultan Abdul-Hamid, Egypt's coinage changed significantly. In 1876, after the Sultan removed Ismail Pasha from power, he placed the Egyptian mint under his supervision. After that, the appearance and quality of the coins improved significantly. In the 1870s, Ottoman coins were widely used in Egypt. However, the Sultan decided that Egypt should have its own mint. As a result, the Cairo Mint was opened in 1876. Initially, the Cairo Mint minted only copper and silver coins. In 1881, however, they began minting the first Egyptian gold coins. II. During the reign of Abdul-Hamid, the first Egyptian commemorative coins were minted in Egypt. These coins celebrated various events, such as the end of Ismail Pasha's reign or the opening of the Cairo Mint.II. During the reign of Abdul-Hamid, Egypt's coinage developed significantly. The appearance and quality of the coins improved, and the first Egyptian commemorative coins appeared. Towards the end of the Sultan's reign, Egypt's economic situation deteriorated and coinage declined. The Cairo Mint closed in 1914. II. Egyptian coins minted by Abdul-Hamid are still sought after by collectors.