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500 Lira
| Issuer | Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1946 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | American Bank Note Company, New York, United States |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette presents an oval intaglio portrait of President İsmet İnönü in three-quarter view, set against an intricate guilloche underprint with large numerals "500" repeated on both flanks. The bank title "TÜRKİYE CÜMHURİYET MERKEZ BANKASI" runs across the top, with the denomination "BEŞYÜZ TÜRK LİRASI" rendered in ornate letterpress below the portrait. Three manuscript signatures of bank officials appear along the lower portion of the note above the imprint of the American Bank Note Company. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | TÜRKİYE CÜMHURİYET MERKEZ BANKASI BEŞYÜZ TÜRK LİRASI (Translation: Central Bank of the Turkish Republic, Five Hundred Turkish Lira) |
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| Comments |
Turkey's postwar monetary position was precarious in 1946 — the country had avoided direct involvement in the Second World War but spent heavily on mobilization, and inflation had eroded confidence in domestic currency. The 500 Lira was an enormous denomination for the period, roughly equivalent to several months' wages for an ordinary worker, which meant most examples passed through very few hands before being tucked away.
The American Bank Note Company contract reflects Ankara's continued preference for foreign security printers at a time when domestic printing infrastructure was not yet trusted for high-value notes. ABNC had held Turkish printing contracts since the early Republican period.