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500 Lira Atatürk
| Issuer | Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1939 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Old lira (1923-2005) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central intaglio vignette of the Rumelihisarı (Rumeli Fortress) in Istanbul, rendered with fine engraving detail showing the medieval towers, battlements, and surrounding hillside with a distant cityscape and waterway in the background. The composition is framed by elaborate guilloche borders with repeating foliate and geometric ornament, and the denomination '500' appears in all four corners. A large unprinted circular medallion at the right serves as a control element. |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Turkey's prewar 500 Lira notes were among the highest denominations in circulation at a time when the average daily wage made such a note essentially theoretical for most of the population. De La Rue held the Turkish printing contract through much of this period, producing work of noticeably higher engraving quality than the domestic alternatives that would follow during the wartime supply disruptions of the early 1940s.
Atatürk had died in November 1938, months before this note entered circulation — making P#131 one of the earliest issues to carry his image posthumously rather than as a sitting head of state. High-denomination notes of this series were frequently hoarded rather than spent, which paradoxically contributes to survivor populations in used grades being relatively thin.