2 1/2 Lira Purple reverse

The 2½ Lira denomination was something of an oddity in mid-century Turkish currency — fractional face values of this kind were already becoming awkward by the early 1950s as inflation steadily eroded the lira's purchasing power. This note belongs to the Third Emission Group series issued under the bank's early Republican-era programme, with De La Rue supplying much of Turkey's printed currency during this period through a long-standing production relationship.

The purple reverse is the distinguishing feature separating this Pick 150 from otherwise similar issues, and collectors frequently encounter misattributions within this emission group. Watermark verification is often the quickest route to confirming authenticity on worn examples.