50 lirasi 1971

Common. The catalog value for UNC condition is listed at $2 (as of 2019), and eBay sales data consistently show UNC examples selling between $0.99 and $3.00 from 2012-2025, with occasional certified PMG examples (grades 65-66) reaching $10-$20.50. These prices are well below the threshold for rarity. The note was issued in substantial quantities as regular circulation currency and remains readily available to collectors. The 1970 issue is one of the more frequently encountered Turkish lira notes from this period.

Issued under Law 1211 dated January 16, 1970, this note commemorates the Turkish Republic through the portrait of its founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, reflecting Turkey's continued veneration of its national hero during the 1970s. The architectural reverse, depicting what appears to be a significant Ottoman or Islamic monument, represents Turkey's cultural and architectural heritage. The note's design embodies the modernist yet culturally-rooted aesthetic of the Turkish Republic Central Bank's currency program during the Cold War era.

The obverse features a formal right-facing portrait of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first president of the Turkish Republic, rendered in the classical engraved style typical of 20th-century central bank currency. The portrait is positioned at the right side of the note, framed by an elaborate ornamental border incorporating geometric and floral patterns. A prominent decorative rosette with radial floral design dominates the left side, while the central area contains the issuing authority's seal or coat of arms. The reverse displays an architectural monument—identified in catalog references as the Marble Fountain of Topkapı Palace in Istanbul—within a circular engraved frame, surrounded by ornate geometric interlocking borders and foliate patterns. The entire design is rendered in fine line engraving with subtle color gradations creating depth and visual hierarchy.

FRONT SIDE: 'TÜRKİYE CUMHURİYET MERKEZ BANKASI' (Turkish Republic Central Bank); '16 OCAK 1970 TARİH VE 1211 SAYILI KANUNA GÖRE ÇIKARILMIŞTIR' (Issued according to the law numbered 1211 dated January 16, 1970); 'BAŞKAN' (Governor); 'BAŞKAN YARDIMCISI' (Deputy Governor); 'TURK LİRASI' (Turkish Lira); Serial number 'L22074331'. BACK SIDE: 'TÜRKİYE CUMHURİYET MERKEZ BANKASI' (Turkish Republic Central Bank); 'TURK LİRASI' (Turkish Lira); Denomination '50' appearing on both sides.

Intaglio engraving (letterpress/offset combination typical of central bank currency production of the era). The fine line work, complex guilloche background patterns, and intricate border details characteristic of security banknote printing are evident throughout both sides. The multicolor printing suggests a multi-pass production process combining intaglio engraving with color offset lithography, a standard technique employed by the Turkish Republic Central Bank's security printers during the 1970s.

The note is dated L.1970 (Law date) with issue year 1971. The Pick catalog (P-188) notes two signature varieties exist for this denomination. Serial numbers are visible in the observed example (L22074331), and replacement notes are identified by serial number prefixes Z91-Z95 according to catalog references. The specific variety would depend on which signature combination appears on this particular note, which cannot be definitively determined from the image quality provided, though the two signature lines ('BAŞKAN' and 'BAŞKAN YARDIMCISI') are clearly visible on the front.