Catalog
20 Lira Kel Hasan Efendi
| Issuer | Turkish State Mint (Darphane) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2025 |
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| Technique | Milled |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A three-quarter facing bust portrait of Kel Hasan Efendi, the celebrated Ottoman comic theatre performer, dominates the central field, rendered in high relief with fine facial detail including a prominent mustache and fez headwear. The portrait is set against an engraved background featuring stylized Ottoman architectural scenes — traditional buildings and a mosque with minaret — rendered in a line-art style to either side of the figure. The legend 'KEL HASAN EFENDİ' arcs along the upper border, with the life dates '1874 - 1921' inscribed beneath in the upper field. |
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| Additional information |
Kel Hasan Efendi was a beloved figure of Ottoman popular theater — a stock comic character whose name translates roughly as "Bald Hasan the Gentleman," rooted in the Karagöz shadow puppet and Ortaoyunu traditions that flourished from at least the 17th century. The Darphane has issued a recurring series honoring these characters as part of a broader push to document intangible cultural heritage through numismatic form, following UNESCO's 2010 inscription of Karagöz on its Representative List.
The choice of a 31.1g silver strike — a troy ounce format — reflects deliberate alignment with the international bullion collector market rather than domestic circulation.