Mustafa Ustun has graphic designs on the front and back of the 6th Emission 1.000 Lira, and the front of the E7 1.000 TL. He also designed the back side of the E-7 series 5.000 TL 1st type banknote, that was put into circulation in 1979. Ataturk portrait on both banknotes is engraved by Selahattin Tuga. Mevlana engraving on the back of the 5.000 Lira is the handiwork of Şükrü Ertürk.
One of the graphic designs he made in previous years was transformed into the front face design of the seventh issue 100 TL in 1983.
Born in Akseki district of Antalya towards the end of the 1930s, Mustafa Üstün graduated from Antalya Aksu Primary Teachers School and then studied at the Ankara Gazi Education Institute Painting-Work Department. Then he began teaching art. In the meantime, he made graphic designs for diplomas and similar documents printed at the Apa Ofset Printing House founded by Ferit Apa, a graphics teacher at the Gazi Education Institute.
In the early 1960s, upon Ferit Apa’s recommendation, he started working at the banknote printing house painting workshop. Then, he completed his undergraduate studies at the Kassel Fine Arts School in Germany and received a graphic designer diploma. During his internship at the Austrian state printing house, he acquired information about banknote graphic design and engraving in the taydus technique.
He made graphic designs for some stamps:
- 1970 United Nations 25th Anniversary 220 Kurus value stamp
- 1970 “Ankara 70 Postage Stamps Turkey 3rd National Exhibition” commemorative block with tulip motif
- 1971 Izmir Mediterranean Games 100 Kr
- 1983 World Communication Year 70 TL value stamp
He designed banknote graphic designs of the Service Souvenir certificates of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye. Also valuable papers such as checks and treasury bonds. He worked as Assistant Manager at the Banknote Printing House between 1983 and 1990, then was hired as a consultant and retired a few years later.
(We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Mustafa Çakırcalı, who contributed to our article with valuable information about Mustafa Üstün)
* Click for other artists who contributed to the design of Turkish currency.
[1] stamp images source Pulhane.com
[2] banknote images source CBRT Virtual Museum
