2 1/2 Lira FAO

Turkey's FAO coinage program ran through the 1970s as part of a broader United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization initiative encouraging member states to mint coins with agricultural themes and direct a portion of proceeds toward rural development programs. The 1978 date places this piece squarely in the period of severe political instability that preceded the 1980 military coup — a time when Turkey's economy was strained by oil shocks, rampant inflation, and balance-of-payments crises that would ultimately render the lira nearly worthless within a few years.

Stainless steel was the practical choice given that base metal costs had to be kept below face value.