10.000 Türk Lirası TUR Banknote (Inflation Era) 1970

10.000 Türk Lirası Turkish Lira (Issued 1970)

The 10.000 Türk Lirası note issued under the 1970 Central Bank of Turkey legislative framework sits among the higher denominations of Turkey’s inflation-era series, sharing a consistent design language with other notes of the period whilst asserting its own identity through its large-denomination numerals and distinctive portrait choice. Across the series, a unifying visual grammar of guilloché patterning, formal portraiture of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and references to Turkish cultural heritage links each denomination together. The 10.000 Lira value marks a significant threshold within the series, reflecting the inflationary pressures that necessitated ever-higher denominations throughout this period. Its combination of architectural and historical imagery on both faces places it firmly within the tradition of Turkish banknote design that celebrates national identity through art and history.

On the front, the dominant feature is a finely engraved portrait of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, positioned to the right of centre and rendered in close profile facing left. The portrait is executed with considerable intaglio depth, capturing Atatürk’s characteristic high collar and formal dress, with fine line engraving detailing the texture of his jacket and the contours of his face. The overall colour palette of the front face is a warm purple-violet, shifting towards softer mauves and lilacs across the background field. At the upper left, the issuing authority name appears in Latin-alphabet text reading “Turkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankasi,” printed in clean serif typography against the pale background. Centrally placed, the denomination text reads “On Bin Turk Lirasi” in bold, prominent lettering, with a smaller line of Latin-alphabet text below referencing the legislative authority of the 14 January 1970 law under which the note was issued. The serial number A36 487120 appears twice on the note — once in the upper left area and once in the lower centre — printed in dark ink. Two authorising signatures appear below the central denomination text, accompanied by the titles “Baskan” and “Baskan Yardimcisi” in Latin-alphabet script, denoting the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank. To the left of centre, an intricate geometric ornamental panel rendered in blue-green tones features a star-and-floral motif with layered guilloché work, providing an elegant security-patterned counterpoint to the portrait. At the lower right, a further decorative floral and foliate guilloché element appears in similar cool tones. The numeral “10000” is printed prominently in the upper right corner and again at the lower left in large bold figures. A fine guilloché-work border runs along the upper edge of the note, incorporating interlocking geometric Celtic-style knotwork in the upper centre, adding to the note’s visual complexity and anti-counterfeiting design.

The reverse is dominated by a large central vignette rendered in grey-green intaglio engraving depicting the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, one of the masterworks of Ottoman imperial architecture, its four slender minarets rising prominently against a finely cross-hatched sky. To the right of this architectural scene stands a detailed engraved portrait of Mimar Sinan, the celebrated chief Ottoman architect responsible for the mosque’s construction, depicted as a bearded elder wearing a large turban, his figure rendered with considerable engraving precision to convey the texture of his robes and the detail of his features. Below the portrait, Latin-alphabet text identifies him as “Mimar Sinan” with the dates 1490 to 1588. To the left of the central vignette, a decorative panel features an ornate stylised dragon or serpentine motif in blue-green tones, with additional foliate and geometric ornamental detail below it, echoing similar decorative elements found on the front face. The issuing authority name “Turkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankasi” appears in Latin-alphabet text along the upper portion of the reverse, with the numeral “10000” in bold figures to the upper right. The denomination text “On Bin Turk Lirasi” is printed in the lower right area in clear serif lettering. The overall colour of the reverse is a soft grey-green, with the architectural engraving rendered in deeper greens and the decorative side panels providing colour contrast. A faint watermark area is visible to the right of the main vignette, appearing as a lighter reserved zone within the paper stock.

This 10.000 Türk Lirası banknote can be exchanged through Webuyallcurrency.com, where old or withdrawn Turkish Old Lira banknotes are bought alongside other foreign currency — ideal for clearing a drawer of mixed coins and notes at once.

• Indicate the quantity of 10.000 Türk Lirası Turkish Lira banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com is a simple way to exchange or sell foreign coins and banknotes for cash — current or withdrawn — turning your Turkish Old Lira banknotes and any other leftover currency into one straightforward payout.