500 Lira World Cup

Turkey issued this coin to mark the 1982 FIFA World Cup held in Spain — one of several dozen nations that produced commemorative silver for the tournament, a practice that had become a reliable revenue stream for smaller mints by the early 1980s. The Turkish lira was in severe distress at the time, having lost roughly 50% of its value against the dollar between 1979 and 1982 following the military coup of September 1980 and the economic instability that preceded it.

Mintages for Turkish commemoratives of this period were typically modest, aimed almost entirely at the collector export market rather than domestic circulation.