15 000 000 Lira Mehmed the Conqueror

Issued to mark the 550th anniversary of Mehmed II's conquest of Constantinople in 1453, this coin appeared at a moment when Turkey's currency had been so badly eroded by decades of inflation that the face value — 15 million lira — was barely worth ten US dollars. The denomination itself is almost a historical footnote: within a year, Turkey redenominated, lopping six zeros off the lira and introducing the New Turkish Lira in January 2005.