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2 1/2 Lira FAO
| Issuer | Turkey |
|---|---|
| Year | 1978 |
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| Composition | Stainless steel (79.15-80.65% Iron, 0.14% Carbon, 17.5-19% Chromium, 0.50% Manganese, 1.15% Silicon, 0.03% Sulfur, 0.03% Phosphorus) |
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| Obverse description | Central field depicts a seated mother in traditional dress nursing an infant at her breast, rendered in moderate relief in a naturalistic style. The circular legend TÜRKIYE CUMHURIYETI runs along the upper periphery, while the inscription KADININ SÜSÜ KÜLTÜR VE ERDEM OLMALIDIR — a Turkish proverb meaning 'A woman's adornment should be culture and virtue' — is distributed around the lower and left portions of the field. The FAO acronym appears to the right of the central figure. The design was executed by engraver Suat Özyönüm as part of the FAO World Food Day series. |
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| Reverse description | The denomination 2 1/2 LIRA is boldly displayed in the center of the field in two lines, with the date 1978 below. The central device is flanked by two symmetrical sprays of wheat ears, their stalks curving gracefully to form a wreath around the denomination. A crescent moon and five-pointed star, the national symbols of Turkey, appear at the top of the wreath. The design is clean and uncluttered, with the inscriptions and devices in moderate relief against a flat field. |
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| Additional information |
Turkey's FAO coinage program ran through the 1970s as part of a broader United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization initiative encouraging member states to mint coins with agricultural themes and direct a portion of proceeds toward rural development programs. The 1978 date places this piece squarely in the period of severe political instability that preceded the 1980 military coup — a time when Turkey's economy was strained by oil shocks, rampant inflation, and balance-of-payments crises that would ultimately render the lira nearly worthless within a few years.
Stainless steel was the practical choice given that base metal costs had to be kept below face value.