500 Lira

Turkey's postwar monetary position was precarious in 1946 — the country had avoided direct involvement in the Second World War but spent heavily on mobilization, and inflation had eroded confidence in domestic currency. The 500 Lira was an enormous denomination for the period, roughly equivalent to several months' wages for an ordinary worker, which meant most examples passed through very few hands before being tucked away.

The American Bank Note Company contract reflects Ankara's continued preference for foreign security printers at a time when domestic printing infrastructure was not yet trusted for high-value notes. ABNC had held Turkish printing contracts since the early Republican period.