A silver coin, the akçe (Ottoman Turkish: آقچه‎) (pronounced akche) was the chief monetary unit of the Ottoman Empire. Three akçes were equal to one para. One-hundred and twenty akçes equalled one kuruş. Later after 1687 the kuruş became the main unit of account, replacing the akçe. In 1843, the silver kuruş was joined by the gold lira in a bimetallic system. Its weight fluctuated, one source estimates it between 1.15 and 1.18 grams. The name Akçe originally referred to a silver coin but later the meaning changed and it became a synonym for money.