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500 Lira Brown
| Issuer | Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1953 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A large scenic vignette in brown intaglio occupies the centre of the note, presenting a panoramic view of the Hippodrome of Constantinople with the ancient Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius and the Serpent Column in the foreground, and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) with its six minarets rising prominently in the background against an open sky. The composition is framed by intricately engraved geometric and floral border patterns, with the denomination numeral '500' repeated in the upper corners alongside the legend '500 TÜRK LİRASI', and the bank title centred along the bottom margin. |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Bradbury Wilkinson's relationship with the Turkish central bank stretches back decades, and this 500 Lira note from 1953 is among the more substantial denominations they produced for Ankara during the early republic's aggressive industrialization push under Adnan Menderes. The choice to retain a British security printer well into the 1950s reflected both established trust and Turkey's limited domestic printing capacity at the denomination's scale.
P#170 is notably scarcer in circulated grades than its face value might suggest — high-denomination notes of this period were frequently hoarded rather than spent, yet paper quality and storage conditions in Turkish households of the era were unforgiving. The watermark remains the sole mechanical security feature, which was already conservative practice by 1953 standards.