50 Lira Izmir Economic Congress

The İzmir Economic Congress of February 1923 was convened by Mustafa Kemal before the Republic was even formally declared — a deliberate signal that economic reconstruction was inseparable from political independence. Delegates from across Anatolia gathered to set the framework for a national economy that would replace the capitulations system, under which foreign powers had extracted trade concessions from the Ottomans for centuries. This coin marks the 90th anniversary of that congress.

The .925 silver commemorative series from Darphane in this period was issued in relatively small quantities, primarily for collector distribution through the Turkish postal service and official mint outlets.