Catalog
50 Lira Atatürk
| Issuer | Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1938 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | The right-centre of the note bears an intaglio portrait vignette of President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in three-quarter view, set against a fine guilloche underprint in violet-purple tones. The bank title runs across the top within an ornate letterpress border, with the denomination '50' repeated in the upper corners and flanking vertical panels. Serial number and series designations appear above and below the central numeral, with two manuscript signatures and their titles printed beneath. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse centres on a large pastoral vignette rendered in intaglio, presenting a flock of Angora goats and sheep grazing on an open plain with rolling hills and a lake or river visible in the middle distance. The scene is framed by an elaborate arched guilloche border with intricate corner ornaments and repeated '50 TÜRK LİRASI' panels at upper left and right. A blank circular reserve appears at the lower right of the central vignette. |
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| Comments |
This note belongs to the first series issued after Atatürk's death in November 1938, creating an immediate and uncomfortable historical ambiguity: notes bearing his portrait were being printed and placed into circulation at precisely the moment the Turkish state was transitioning away from his direct authority under İsmet İnönü. Thomas De La Rue had held the Turkish printing contract through much of the early Republican period, and the relationship reflected Ankara's preference for London-quality intaglio work over domestic production capacity, which remained limited.
The 1938 date on P#129 notes does not reliably indicate pre-death printing.