Turkey's wildlife coin program of the early 2000s was issued partly in response to growing international pressure on Ankara to demonstrate environmental commitments ahead of EU accession negotiations. The white-throated kingfisher series was produced in limited numbers primarily for the collector export market — domestic demand for silver commemoratives at this denomination was essentially nonexistent given the currency crisis Turkey was navigating at the time.
The lira was in freefall throughout 2001, collapsing in February under one of the worst financial crises in Turkish history. A silver coin denominated at 7,500,000 lira tells you everything about where the currency stood.
Turkey's wildlife coin program of the early 2000s was issued partly in response to growing international pressure on Ankara to demonstrate environmental commitments ahead of EU accession negotiations. The white-throated kingfisher series was produced in limited numbers primarily for the collector export market — domestic demand for silver commemoratives at this denomination was essentially nonexistent given the currency crisis Turkey was navigating at the time.
The lira was in freefall throughout 2001, collapsing in February under one of the worst financial crises in Turkish history. A silver coin denominated at 7,500,000 lira tells you everything about where the currency stood.