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500 000 Lira Trojan Horse
| Issuer | Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey |
|---|---|
| Year | 1999 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | KM#1081 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse depicts the iconic wooden Trojan Horse rendered in a stylized, geometric relief, occupying the left and central field. To the right of the horse stands a fully armed ancient warrior in profile, wearing a crested helmet and breastplate and carrying a round shield. The inscription 'EURO' appears to the right in the field, referencing the coin's participation in the Europa series. The curved legend 'YAŞAYAN EFSANE - TRUVA' (Living Legend - Troy) arcs along the upper left periphery in Latin characters. |
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| Additional information |
Turkey's 1999 commemorative program coincided with the country's catastrophic August earthquake — the Izmit disaster that killed over 17,000 people — and the simultaneous peak of a currency crisis that had been grinding the lira into irrelevance for years. A 500,000-lira face value, worth roughly thirty cents at the time of issue, illustrates just how thoroughly hyperinflation had hollowed out the currency. The redenomination that finally dropped six zeros wouldn't come until 2005.
The Trojan Horse subject ties the coin to the archaeological site at Hisarlık, confirmed as the likely location of ancient Troy by Heinrich Schliemann's excavations beginning in 1871.