Based on the tughra (a sultan's stylized official signature) in the center of the second photo, it is Turkish and so could not date back as far as 1243 CE/AD. The date would be the Islamic AH (Anno Hejira) dating system, which starts with year 622 AD, so it could be late 18th-19th century. The date on Ottoman coins is given as the date that the sultan ascended the throne, followed by his regnal year (number of years, the date of his ascension beginning year 1, of his reign). As there was no new sultan in AH 1243, the date was probably read incorrectly by the person who told your friend.
To me, the date looks to be either 1222 or 1223 (the last digit is worn and 2 and 3 can look quite similar on a coin with a bit of wear or a mis-strike. If my reading of the date is correct, it would date between 1807 and 1839, and point to either Mustafa IV (reign began AH 1222) or Mahmud II (reign began AH 1223).
Coins minted in some of the far, semi-independent provinces of the Ottoman empire could vary slightly in design. You can look up the ruler's tughra yourself at
http://www.tugra.org/en/tugralar.asp, as it is a bit difficult to see details in the photo.
