2,5 Lira Nasreddin Hoca

Nasreddin Hoca is among the most enduring figures in Turkish folk tradition — a 13th-century Sufi-tinged philosopher and jester whose paradoxical jokes have been transmitted orally across Central Asia and the Middle East for seven centuries. His birthplace is disputed between Hortu and Sivrihisar, and both towns have claimed him aggressively enough that the argument occasionally surfaces in Turkish regional politics. The Darphane has issued collector-oriented bronze pieces under the nominal 2.5 Lira denomination specifically to sidestep the bullion classification that would otherwise apply to heavier issues.