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2 1/2 Lira
| Issuer | Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası (Central Bank of the Turkish Republic) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1947 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 145 × 65 mm |
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| Obverse description | Portrait of President Mustafa İsmet İnönü in three-quarter view to the right, rendered in intaglio, occupying the right portion of the note against a fine guilloche underprint in brown tones. The denomination "2½" appears in ornamental cartouches at each upper corner, with the bold letterpress legend "İKİ BUÇUK TÜRK LİRASI" centred across the middle of the face. Serial number and series designations are printed in two positions, with three facsimile signature lines positioned below the central inscription. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | President İsmet İnönü's portrait, visible when held to light |
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| Comments |
Bradbury Wilkinson produced this note during a period when Turkey's postwar financial position was under serious strain — the country had remained neutral in World War II but had imposed the notorious Varlık Vergisi, a wealth tax widely condemned for its discriminatory application against non-Muslim minorities, which had disrupted commercial life significantly through 1942–44. By 1947, the Central Bank was working to stabilize confidence in paper currency amid inflation pressures and a weak lira.
The 2½ Lira denomination is an awkward fraction that reflects older Ottoman-era accounting habits still embedded in Turkish monetary practice at the time, rather than any particular issuing convenience.