1 Lira Selim I

This piece is part of Turkey's long-running Ottoman Sultans commemorative bimetallic series, which the Darphane has issued across multiple years pairing modern circulation-format coins with historical rulers. Selim I reigned from 1512 to 1520 and tripled the size of the Ottoman Empire in that span — defeating the Safavids at Chaldiran in 1514 and conquering Egypt in 1517, the latter transfer bringing the Caliphate to the Ottomans. Eight years on the throne reshaped the eastern Mediterranean world more thoroughly than most rulers managed in four decades.