Tag: engraving

Tekin Gülbasar

Tekin Gülbasar was born in 1978 in Zile, Tokat. He graduated Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Faculkty of Fine Arts, Sculpture Programme in 2006 and started working at the State Mint the same year.

Coins he has designed:

  • 2016 15 Temmuz Şehitleri ve Gazileri Anısına
  • 2016 Büyük Türk Devletleri Serisi
    • Büyük Hun İmparatorluğu
    • Batı Hun İmparatorluğu
    • Avrupa Hun İmparatorluğu
    • Ak Hun İmparatorluğu
    • Göktürk İmparatorluğu
    • Avar İmparatorluğu
    • Hazar İmparatorluğu
    • Uygur Devleti
    • Karahanlılar
    • Gazneliler
    • Büyük Selçuklu İmparatorluğu
    • Harzemşahlılar
    • Altınordu Devleti
    • Büyük Timur İmparatorluğu
    • Babür İmparatorluğu
    • Osmanlı İmparatorluğu
  • 2016 İyonlar (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Serisi No: 6)
  • 2016 Uğur Böceği (Türkiye’de görülen hayvan türleri serisi)
  • 2016 Türk Keleri (Türkiye’de görülen hayvan türleri serisi)
  • 2016 Dünya İnsani Zirvesi İstanbul
  • 2016 Nasreddin Hoca “Göle Maya Çalmak” (Masal Kahramanları Serisi No: 2)
  • 2016 Beçin Kalesi – Ahmed Gazi Medresesi (Antik Kentler Serisi No: 10)
  • 2016 İlk Türk Amirali Çaka Bey (Gemiler ve Kaşifler Serisi No: 7)
  • 2017 Assos – Athena Tapınağı (Antik Kentler Serisi No: 11)
  • 2017 Nasreddin Hoca “Ye Kürküm Ye” (Masal Kahramanları Serisi No: 3)
  • 2017 Cam Kelebeği (Türkiye’de görülen hayvan türleri serisi)
  • 2017 Roma İmparatorluğu Aizanoi Zeus Tapınağı, Çavdarhisar İlk Borsa (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Serisi No: 7)
  • 2017 Umur Bey (Gemiler ve Kaşifler Serisi No: 8)
  • 2017 Datça Deveboynu Feneri (Deniz Fenerleri Serisi No: 7)
  • 2017 Meddah (Geleneksel Türk Tiyatrosu)
  • 2017 Kavuklu & Pişekar (Geleneksel Türk Tiyatrosu)
  • 2017 Darphane 550. Yıl
  • 2019 Patara Meclis Binası ve Kent Kapısı (Antik Kentler Serisi No: 13)
  • 2019 Doğu Roma İmparatorluğu (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Serisi No: 9)
  • 2019 Azerbaycan Milli Meclisi’nin Kuruluşunun 100. Yılı
  • 2019 Anadolu’ya Özgü Kuşlar Serisi
    • Kaşıkçı (No: 2)
    • İbibik (No: 3)
    • Çöl Koşarı (No: 4)
    • Bayağı Uzunbacak (No: 5)
    • Baştankara (No: 6)
    • Ardıç (No: 8)
  • 2019 Bodrum Feneri (Deniz Fenerleri No: 9)
  • 2019 Göbeklitepe yılı
    • Gümüş ve Bronz
  • 2019 Kılıç Ali Paşa (Gemiler ve Kaşifler Serisi No: 10)
  • 2019 Azerbaycan Dışişleri Bakanlığının Kuruluşunun 100. Yılı
  • 2019 İmameddin Nesimi Doğumunun 650.Yılı
  • 2019 Nasreddin Hoca “Dünyanın ortası burasıdır” (Masal Kahramanları Serisi No: 5)
  • 2020 Osmanlı İmparatorluğu (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Serisi No: 10)
  • 2020 Karabağ Azerbaycandır 50 Manat
  • 2020 Karabağ Azerbaycandır 20 TL
  • 2020 Perge – Helenistik Kapı (Antik Kentler Serisi No: 14)
  • 2020 Yeşilay’ın kuruluşunun 100. yılı
    • Gümüş
    • Bronz
  • 2020 Gastronomi Şehri Afyonkarahisar
    • Altın kaplama
    • Gümüş
    • Bronz
  • 2020 Nasreddin Hoca “Fil Hikayesi” (Masal Kahramanları Serisi No: 6)
  • 2020 Osman Gazi 1258 ~ 1326 (Osmanlı Padişahları No: 1)
  • 2020 Orhan Gazi 1281 ~ 1362 (Osmanlı Padişahları No: 2)
  • 2023 Ayşe Hafsa Valide Sultan Vakfiyesi’nin 500. Yılı (Manisa Sultan Külliyesi Camii)
  • 2023 Deniz Harp Okulu 250. Yıl
  • 2023 Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi 750. Vuslat Yılı
  • 2023 Saltuklular (Anadolu Beylikleri Serisi No: 4)
  • 2024 Ak Hun Devleti (Büyük Türk Devletleri Serisi No:4)
  • 2024  Hungarian-Turkish Culture Year
  • 2024 Galatasaray’s 24th Championship in the Turkish Super League

[1]Obverse of these coins is the handiwork of Hakkı Baha Çavuşgil.

(We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the artist for his invaluable contributions to this page)

Nesrin Ekşi – Schnepf

Born in 1975, the artist graduated Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts, Sculpture Programme in 1997.

During her career at the State Mint between 1997 and 2016, she created numerous coins and medals starting with the 5.000.000 Lira gold Dikilitas (the Obelisk of Theodosius) commemorative, which was the second piece of the Istanbul Cultural Heritage serie.

Reverse of the 50 Kr piece in circulation today; depicting the Bosphorus Bridge, is also her handiwork.

Coins she designed and sculpted:

  • 1998 Istanbul Cultural Assets #2 – Dikilitas – Obelisk of Theodosius
  • 1998 75th anniversary of the Turkish Republic Serie
    • Republic and Women
    • Republic and Children
  • 1999 Istanbul Cultural Assets #3 – Tophane Fountain (gold and silver; two coin types)
  • 1999 80th anniversary of Ataturk’s arrival at Samsun on 19th of May 1919
  • 1999 700th anniversary of the Ottoman Empire’s establishemnt / Conquest of Constantinople
  • 2000 First Turkish Pilot – Sabiha Gökçen
  • 2000 Cities of the Antiquity #1 – Ephesus Celsus
  • 2000 Türkiye’s candidacy to European Union membership
  • 2001 23th of April
  • 2001 Traditional Turkish Handcrafts #1 – Iznik Pottery
  • 2001 Turks of the Millenium – Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi
  • 2001 Birds of Türkiye Serie
  • 2002 Ataturk portrait for the circulation 250.000 Lira (*33, p. 33)
  • 2002 Flowers of Türkiye Serie
  • 2002 23th of April
  • 2002 Hagia Sophia Mosque
  • 2002 Istanbul Cultural Assets #4 Hagia Sophia Mosque
  • 2002 Olympic Games – Skiing
  • 2002 Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi
  • 2003 Zeugma
  • 2003 First Turkish European Champion Athlete, Süreyya Ayhan
  • 2003 First Turkish Woman Lawyer, Süreyya Ağaoğlu
  • 2003 550th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople – Çinili Köşk
  • 2004 Turks of the Millenium – Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror
  • 2005 Ataturk portrait for the 25 Yeni Kurus for circulation (*33, p. 37)
  • 2005 23rd Universiade Games Izmir
  • 2005 Nemrud (bearing the 2003 date)
  • 2005 Animals of Türkiye Serie
    • Anatolian Leopard
    • Kangal Shepard Dog
    • Grizzly Bear
    • Anatolian Wild Sheep
    • Ankara Goat
    • Tailed Dormouse
    • Jerboa
    • Ankara Cat
  • 2006 800th anniversary of Gevher Nesibe Hospital Complex
  • 2006 Solar Eclipse
  • 2006 70th anniversary of Mehmet Akif Ersoy‘s death
  • 2006 Calligrapher Hamid Aytaç
  • 2007 Safranbolu Houses
  • 2007 Kayseri Kültepe – First bronze age – IDOL
  • 2008 Seljuki zodiac representations
    • Aries – Ram
    • Taurus – Bull
    • Gemini – Twins
    • Cancer – Crab
    • Leo – Lion
    • Virgo – Maiden
    • Libra – Scales
    • Scorpio – Scorpion
    • Sagittarius – Archer
    • Capricorn – Goat
    • Aquarius – Water Bearer
    • Pisces – Fish
  • 2008 Traditional Turkish Handcrafts – Miniature
  • 2008 Centenary of Kabataş High School
  • 2008 Çatalhöyük
  • 2008 Yahya Kemal Beyatlı
  • 2008 800th anniversary of the birth of Nasreddin Hoca
  • 2009 Reverse of the circulation coin 50 Kurus bearing the Bosphorus Bridge (*33, p. 44)
  • 2009 Barack Obama’s visit to Türkiye
  • 2009 90th anniversary of Ataturk’s arrival at Samsun on 19th of May 1919
  • 2009 Imperial Eagle & Bearded Vulture 1 TL
  • 2009 World Bank Group Meeting in Istanbul
  • 2009 150th anniversary of Faculty of Political Science, Ankara University
  • 2009 1430th anniversary of Hijrah
  • 2010 90th anniversary of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye
  • 2010 FIBA World Basketball Championship
  • 2010 1400th anniversary of revelation of Qur’an
  • 2010 Ahırkapı Lighthouse
  • 2010 Centenary of Osman Hamdi – Istanbul Archeological Museum
  • 2011 European Youth Olimpics – Trabzon
    • Silver
    • Bronze
  • 2011 5th Universiade Winter Games – Erzurum
    • Skiing
    • Hockey
  • 2011 650th anniversary of Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling
  • 2011 Centenary of Yildiz Technical University
  • 2011 Centenary of the Turkish Airlines
  • 2011 Hejaz Railway – Medina Station
  • 2014 450th anniversary of Matrakcı Nasuh (*1)
  • 2014 First actress, Afife Jale

Medallions she created:

  • 2008 Seljuki medallion
  • 2009 Grand Bazaar Nuruosmaniye Gate medallion bearing the logo of the Turkish Numismatics Association and the Coat of Arms of the Ottoman Empire
  • 2010 European Capital of Culture; Istanbul

[1] Sculptor / artist of some of the commemoratives released by the State Mint, were not announced on the certificates or the newsletters. Designers of such coins are listed only to the extent that we could identify their designer. The list will be updated with new information.

COSKUN

Turgut Salih Coşkun
COSKUN

Born in 1950, the artist studied thatre in the Conservatory of Istanbul. Performed within Chamber Theater of Bursa, Community Centre Stage, Communal Education Theatre and Net Theater. COSKUN also opened art exhibitions in 1967 and 1970. He started working for the Turkish State Mint in 1979.

 

 

 

 

He designed the FAO commemorative coins of 1980 which bear fishermen pulling their net, superimposed over a Turbot fish. The motto on the 5 Kurus, two and a half liras and 5 Lira coins of this series reads “Kalkınma için Balıkçılık” Fishing for development. The signature of the artist can be seen in the tail of the turbot as “T. S. Coşkun”.

 

In 1980 when the artist moved to France, Paris Mint comissioned a medal with theme of Istanbul. His handiwork was awarded with a 4.000 Francs reward.

He then studied direct metal forming techniques and  created solid bronze sculptures. He also applied his technique for producing medal moulds.

Some examples of his artwork:

The artist creates sculptures and drawings in Paris since 1980. During winter, he works on his drawings and patterns and in the summer period he makes sculptures outside Paris.

He gained fame as COSKUN and his sculptures carved out of wood brighten various pars around Paris.

Personal website of the artist: www.coskun.paris

 

(We would like to extend our gratitude to the artist for his sincere contribution to this brief article on his numismatics artwork)

İsa Avni Kumuk (1934 ~ 2017)

Isa Avni Kumuk, was born in 1934 in Samsun to a family of Caucasian descent. He was involved with his family business of jevellry-making at the early age of six. He was quite interested and competent in maths during elementary school and and was even nicknamed Pisagor (Pythagoras). after his graduation from high school in 1953, he started his own workshop at the Grand Bazaar as a jevellry-maker and engraver. He was admitted to Istanbul Technical University as the 12th applicant.

He worked for the Turkish State Mint between 1964 and 1976  first as a technical personnel, later as the head of engraving workshop and technical consultant. During his service, he was appointed to examine the Spoonmaker’s Diamond to authenticate and measure its dimensions.

He designed many circulation and commemorative coins after 1970. His technique was compared to Giampaoli‘s.

50 Kurus piece released in 1971 was his handiwork. After visiting an exhibition of traditional Anatolian clothes, administrators of the mint asked him to come up with a portrait of a woman in traditional Anatolian head dress. The owner of said exhibition Sabiha Tansug was photographed in the Ankara Headpiece, but in order not to portrait any significant person, Avni Kumuk cut out her face and completed the portrait with an imaginary average Turkish woman.

 

Around 1976, the head of the State mint – also a prominent poet Cemal Süreya –  was instructed to decommission old machinery of the mint. Avni Kumuk convinced him to keep the machinery for display.

After his work at the Mint had ended, in 1982, he started his own company called International Goldart İstanbul, and produced over 700 medals, badges, pins and emblems ordered by several private companies and Turkish Numismatics Association. He received several awards by Turkish and international, private and public institutions.

Commemorative and circulation coins he designed and produced:

1970:

  • 25 Lira silver coin commemorating the 50th anniversary of the TBMM – Grand National Assembly of Turkey
  • Acmonital 2½ Lira with the obverse bearing Ataturk on a tractor; minted part of the FAO programme.

1971:

  • 50 Lira silver coin commemorating 900 years of  Battle of Manzikert
  • Bronze 10 Kr, Ataturk on a tractor; part of FAO programme,
  • Acmonital 50 Kr circulation piece with a woman wearing Anatolian headdrress.

1972:

  • silver 50 Lira commemorating 50th anniversary of the Victory of August the 30th
  • golden medals commemorating victory of Battle of Dumlupınar

1973:

  • 50 and 100 Lira silver and 500 Lira gold coins commemorating 50th anniversary of the Republic

1974:

  • 5 Lira circulation piece bearing Ataturk’s statue in Samsun

1975:

  • Aluminium 5 Kurus part of FAO programme

1976:

  • Aluminium 5 and 10 Kr and acmonital 5 Lira of the FAO series

1978:

  • FAO acmonital 50 Kurus, 1 and 2½ Lira
  • FAO acmonital 5 Lira and silver 150 Lira
  • FAO gold 500 Lira,
  • FAO gold 1.000 Lira

1979:

  • FAO  bronze and aluminium 1 Kuruş
  • FAO acmonital 50 Kuruş and 1 Lira,
  • FAO acmonital 2½ and 5, also silver 150 Lira
  • FAO gold 500 Lira,
  • FAO gold 1.000 Lira,

1980:

  • FAO bronze 10, acmonital 50 Kurus and 1 Lira,
  • FAO gold 500 Lira

Some of the medals he produced:

for the Turkish Armed Forces:

  • First and Second degree Honour Medals
  • First and Second degree Pride Medals
  • Medal of Distinguished Service
  • First and Second degree War Medals
  • Emblem of the Turkish Army (Turkish Land Forces)
  • Turkish Army commemorative medallion

for various establishments:

  • commemorative medallion for the 500th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople / İstanbul
  • commemorative medallion for the inauguration of 15 July Martyrs Bridge (named Bosphorus Bridge when first opened)
  • commemorative medallion for the inauguration of Haliç (Golden Horn) Bridge
  • medallion commemorating Saudi King Faisal’s visit to Türkiye
  • medallion commemorating Islamic Conference in Istanbul

Avni Kumuk was also interested in painting, he was not only a skillful artist, but also a competent engineer. After the intervention to Cyprus by Turkey in 1974, he contributed to complicated parts the defence industry needed and that had to be domestically produced.

He was a member of the industrial advisory committee of ITU Mechanical Engineering Faculty. He assisted many public and private companies with their intricate designs of parts and dyes.

Father of 2 sons, Avni Kumuk worked until his last minute with the principle of giving back to the society.

 

Click here for a page dedicated to Avni Kumuk’s works.

*We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the family of the artist, for their invaluable contribution to this article.

Ahmet Mesrur Durum (1873 ~ 1952)

Designer of the last coins of the Ottoman Empire and also the first coin series of the Turkish Republic minted between 1924 – 1928.

Also known as Mesrur İzzet Bey, he has been serving the Istanbul Mint since 1905 and is also the designer of the Turkish Medal of Independance.

Has studied sculpture in Fine Arts School (later called “Istanbul Fine Arts Academy, today named Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University).

He has worked on several fields such as sculpture, paintings, philately and numismatics, and has designed a significant amount of medals for various establishments.

The Republican Era coins he has designed are:

  • 100 Para 1924 ~1928
  • 5 Kuruş 1924 ~1928
  • 10 Kuruş 1924 ~1928
  • 25 Kuruş (nikel) 1925 ~1928
  • 25 Kuruş (1/4 Altın Lira, Meskuk) 1926 ~1929
  • 25 Kuruş (1/4 Altın Lira, Ziynet) 1927 ~1928
  • 50 Kuruş (1/2 Altın Lira, Meskuk) 1926 ~1929
  • 50 Kuruş (1/2 Altın Lira, Ziynet) 1927 ~1928
  • 1 Lira (Ankara Gold Bullion) 1926 ~1929
  • 1 Lira (Gold, Monnaies de Luxe) 1927 ~1928
  • 2,5 Lira (Ankara Gold Bullion) 1926 ~1929
  • 2,5 Lira (Gold, Monnaies de Luxe) 1927 ~1928
  • 5 Lira (Ankara Gold Bullion) 1925 ~1929
  • 5 Lira (Gold, Monnaies de Luxe) 1927 ~1928
  • 10 Para 1936 (This smallest denomination coin was exempt from the contests of 1934, first drafts were announced in 1934. Newspapers and the magazines published photo of the models but it was introduced into circulation firstly in 1940.
  • 2005 Yılı 50 Yeni Kuruş (New Kurus) obverse bearing Atatürk facing right is also based on a reused model from his works of 1933.

His life and works are published in detail in a two volume book by Celil Ender & Orhan Okay (2003 & 2004 Turkish Numismatics Society Publications)