Designer of two silver coins of the 1999 yılı Euro Serie. Both of 4.000.000 TL nominal value; Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and the Bosphorus (Boğaziçi; which was also struck in gold in 2000 with a 50.000.000 TL face value)
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk 1999
Bosphorus #4 of Euro Serie
1999 4.000.000 Lira reverse
Coins were released in accordance with the agreement between the Turkish State Mint and the German MDM firm.
Seafront Mansions of the Bosphorus, 10.000.000 TL, 2001 Waldemar Wronski
Saint of Myra; Santa Claus,(gold), 10.000.000 TL, 2000 Hakkı Baha Çavuşgil
[1]Golden coin of 2000, bearing the same design is listed as a handiwork of Waldemar Wronski.
The artist was born in Bulgaria in 1953 (in Cyrillic “Снежана Русева – Хойер”), went to East Berlin to study graphic design in the 70’ies and married Heinz Hoyer.
Federal Eagle of Germany designed by Snezhana & Heinz Hoyer (foto: ECB)
They won the design competition of 1997 for the German Euro coins. Their design of the Federal Eagle (Bundesadler) is used on the 1 and 2 Euro coins in circulation since 2002.
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.
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.
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”.
FAO 1980 Fishing for Development 5 Lira obverse
FAO 1980 Fishing for Development two and a half Lira obverse
FAO 1980 Fishing for Development 5 Kuruş obverse
A coin model of Nasreddin Hoca; a prominent fiure of the Turkish folklore
a model of Yunus Emre; Turkish folk poet
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:
Catalogue page of the 1980 FAO commemorative coins among which COSKUN’s artwork is also present
Istanbul Medallion that the French Mint commissioned to Turgut Salih Coskun
the negative mould of the reverse of the Istanbul Medallion
Certificate of the 4.000 Francs reward for the Istanbul Medal
Nazim Hikmet medal that the artist produced in 1979
Nazim Hikmet medal among the sculptures the artist created through direct metal carving
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.
Born in 1951, the artist enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in 1974. With encouragement from his professors Şadi Çalık and Hüseyin Gezer, he started working for the State Mint in 1977. However, he shortly quit to focus on his studies.
One year after graduating from the academy in 1980, he was invited by the State Mint and so he joined the staff. In 1986 he was sent to Italian Mint in Rome on a five-month programme to study contemporary coin making techniques.
He retired from the Turkish State Mint in 2006.
Exhibitions he took part in:
1976 – Participated in the Open-Air Painting Exhibition at the Archaeological Museums.
1978 – Took part in the YDGSA Higher Sculpture Department Student Group Exhibition.
1978 – Participated in the State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition.
1979 – Opened his first solo sculpture exhibition at Nur Art Gallery.
1979 – Participated in the State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition.
1979 – Took part in the 2nd Art Festival events.
1981 – Participated in the 3rd Istanbul Art Festival “New Trends” Exhibition.
1981 – Joined the contemporary mixed sculpture exhibition at Maçka Art Gallery.
1981 – Took part in the mixed painting and sculpture exhibition at Moda Fine Arts Gallery.
1984 – Participated in the 12th International Istanbul Festival “Contemporary Artists 5th Istanbul Exhibition.”
1993 – Held a Unique Medallion and Sculpture Exhibition at Sadberk Hanım Museum.
1994 – Opened a sculpture exhibition at Foks Art Gallery.
2001 – Participated in the exhibition “Meeting with Sculpture on the 78th Anniversary of the Republic” at Akbank Art Center.
Awards he received:
1979 – Received First Prize in the Osman Hamdi Sculpture Competition.
1987 – Received two honorable mentions in the State Medals and Orders competition organized by the Prime Ministry.
Coins he designed and engraved during his tenure at the State Mint:
FAO design used on 1977 2,5, 5 and 50 lira pieces. the tag line reads; “Herkese Ekmek ve Konut” (Food and housing for everyone)
1981 IYDP International Year of Disabled People gold commemorative coin
1977 FAO Food and Shelter for Everyone acmonital 2½ and 5 Lira and a silver commemorative coin with face value of 50 Lira
1981 International Year of Disabled People gold 30.000 Lira
1983 60th anniversary of the Turkish Republic obverse bearing effigy of Atatürk
1983 FAO World Food Day
1983 FAO 16th October World Food Day, silver 1.500 Lira
1983 60th anniversary of the Turkish Republic commemorative coin (the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk) *1)
1984 1 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
1984 5 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
1984 10 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
1984 50 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
1984 100 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
1984 United Nations, Decade for Women silver and gold commemoratives
1984 50th anniversary of Turkish Women obtaining the right to vote and the right to run for office
1984 20 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
1985 25 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
1985 FAO 9th World Forestry Conference Mexico
1985 World Youth Year
1989 Teachers Day 24th of November
1986 International Year of Peace, gold and silver commemoratives
1987 International Year of Shelter for the Homeless
1988 50 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
1988 100 Lira commemorative coin; Mexico strike the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk (*2)
1989 500 Lira circulation coin; the obverse bearing the effigy of Atatürk
2002 Türkiye’nin Çiçekleri – Antalya Süseni (Iris Pamphylica)
2004 Binyılın Türk’leri – Nazım Hikmet Ran
2005 T.B.M.M. Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi 85. Milli Egemenlik Yılı
2005 tedavül paralarından 1, 5 ve 10 Kuruşların tura yüzünde yer alan Atatürk portreleri
2009 tedavül paralarının tamamında (1, 5, 10, 25 ve 50 Kuruş ile 1 Lira) tura yüzünde yer alan, ilk olarak 1984 yılı 1, 5, 10, 20 ve 50 Liralıklarda yer alan Mustafa Kemal Atatürk portresi.
İlk kez 1984 yılı FAO Balıkçılık altın parasının yazı yüzünde kullanılan ve 1984’ten itibaren para setlerinde görülen Darphane logosu kendisinin eseridir (*27, Sf. 73, 74 & 75).
İstanbul Darphanesi Logosu
Darphane’deki diğer eserleri:
TBMM – Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi madalyon ön
TBMM – Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi madalyon arka
1989 NATO’nun 40. Yılı ön
1989 NATO’nun 40. Yılı arka
1990 – Herşey İnsan İçindir – Çevre Emanettir madalyon
1990 – İnsanı Sev Çevreni Koru madalyon
1998 Habitat 2 Kent Zirvesi madalyon
İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi şehrin altın anahtarı ön & arka
İBB altın anahtarı sunum kutusu
İBB altın anahtarı kutusu
Other Works at the Mint
Grand National Assembly of Turkey medallion
40th anniversary of NATO commemorative medallion with the slogan “Peace in Freedom”
1990 medallion with the slogans “Love People, Protect the Environment” and “Everything is for People – The Environment is a Trust”
1998 Habitat II Istanbul Urban Summit medallion
Gold-plated key to the city and box, produced for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
[2]Workers of the Mint went on strike between June 23 and October 19, 1988. Some of the circulation coins were struck at the Mexican Mint. 10 million 100 Lira coins dated 1988 and approximately 66 million 500 Lira coins dated 1989 were minted in Mexico using molds produced in Istanbul. In addition to the circulation coins produced, one thousand silver 100 and 500 Lira commemorative coins were minted. These commemorative coins, which were kept in the Turkish Mint for a while, were offered for sale to registered collectors in 1995 (*27, p 100).
* See all the artists who contributed to the designs of Turkish Republican coins and banknotes here.
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.
1970 50th Anniversary of the GNAT Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
1970 50th Anniversary of the GNAT Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. The First parliament building
FAO design used on various coins. Ataturk driving a tractor with the motto that reads “plow is mightier than the sword”
Alparslan; the second sultan of the Seljuk Empire on the obverse of the silver coin commemorating 900 years of the Battle of Manzikert
Reverse of the silver coin commemorating 900 years of the Battle of Manzikert. Rays coming out of Battleground, westward into Anatolia
Obverse of 5 Lira coins from 1974, depicting Ataturk on his horse from the statue in Samsun
portrait of an Anatolian woman wearing traditional headdress, used on several coins starting with 50 Kr of 1971
50th anniversary of the Battle of Dumlupınar. Obverse depicts Atatürk on horseback
50th anniversary of the Battle of Dumlupınar. Reverse depicts a scene from the battle ground
50th anniversary of the Republic; 1973. Obverse of the silver 50 and 100 Lira coins
50th anniversary of the Republic; 1973. Obverse of the gold 500 Lira coin
50th anniversary of the Republic; 1973. Reverse design of all three coins of the set
FAO Family Planning – Food for everyone
FAO Development of the villager women
FAO Development of the villager women
FAO Ornament of women should be culture and virtue
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
Rumelian Fortress restoration medal depicting Mehmed 2nd, the Conqueror
Rumelian Fortress restoration medal depicting the fortress
medallion commemorating the 50th anniversary of Battle of Dumlupınar; Mustafa Kemal depicted on the battle day
medallion commemorating the 50th anniversary of Battle of Dumlupınar; Krippel’s Monument of Great Triumph
1971, 900 years of Basttle of Manzikert, effigy of Alparslan
1971, 900 years of Basttle of Manzikert, a scene from the battlefield
1976 Ziya Gokalp commemorative medallion
1976 Ziya Gokalp commemorative medallion; scene from the legend of Ergenekon; the blacksmith who melts a passage through the mountain, and the gray she wolf Asena, leading the way
1978 Turkish Numismatics Association medal commemorating the first Turkish Numismatist Abdullatif Suphi Pasa
1978 Turkish Numismatics Association medal commemorating the first Turkish Numismatist Abdullatif Suphi Pasa
1978 Turkish Numismatics Association medal commemorating 50th anniversary of the alphabet reform
1978 Turkish Numismatics Association medal commemorating 50th anniversary of the alphabet reform
1979 Turkish Numismatics Association medal commemorating Numismatist Halil Edhem Eldem
1979 Turkish Numismatics Association medal commemorating Numismatist Halil Edhem Eldem
1980 Turkish Numismatics Association medal commemorating Avicenna
1980 Turkish Numismatics Association medal commemorating Avicenna
Ataturk’s 100th birthday Canada – Türkiye friendship medallion
Ataturk’s 100th birthday Canada – Türkiye friendship medallion
1981 Eskisehir Tourism Association, Yunus Emre Culture and Arts Festival
1981 Eskisehir Tourism Association, Yunus Emre Culture and Arts Festival
Sakıp Sabancı
Commemorative gold medallion
medal promoting the campaign for a new naval frigate
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.
Giampaoli was as a consultant to the Turkish State Mint and was the designer of the Ataturk effigy on the coins starting with the 1 Lira of 1957.
Same portrait was also used on the 10 Lira of 1960 silver commmemorative 10 Lira pieces.also on the 25.000.000 coin minted in 1998 as part of the 75th anniversary of the republic(*27, Page. 183).
He worked at the Italian Mint between 1936 and 1963. designed many Italian coins as well as medals and coins for Vatican, San Marino and Malta. He consulted Germany, France, Spain, Israel and Tunisia.
In 1957 he was invited to Turkey for renewing the coinage. He studied the works in the museums and monuments of Ankara and Istanbul for inspiration. Rather recent auction pieces indicate that he also worked on 25 Kurus coins bearing Ataturk’s portrait but eventually the figure of an Anatolian woman carrying an artillery shell was used for those coins. His signature in its Latinized form (J. Pavlvs) can be seen below the portrait.
There are auto-portraits of Giampaoli on medals(*1) where his name is Latinified. The page describes his resoning for using thistle on his self medals as “In the language of flowers and plants, the thistle symbolizes solitude and isolation and this meaning is due to the tendency of this plant to grow in inaccessible places. An ability to make one’s way through difficulties – yet “not without effort”, indeed.”
Effigy of Ataturk on silver 10 Lira commemorating 27 May 1960
Reverse of the silver 10 Lira commemorating 27 May 1960
Obverse of 25 Kurus of 1959. a symbolic Anatolian woman carrying an artillery shell. commemorating the hardships of the War of Independance
Obverse of two and a half Lira of 1960. Mustafa Kemal as Commander in Chief at the hill Kocatepe during Battle of Dumlupınar
25 Kurus trial strike signed J. Pavlvs, bearing effigy of Ataturk
Pietro Giampaoli – Joannes Pavlvs
PROCVL. PROFANIS (Far from the ordinary)
Joannes Pavlvs – Pietro Giampaoli
NON SINE LABORE (Not without labour)
His brother Celestino Giampaoli also was affiliated with the Turkish State Mint (*2) during the period which acmonital (Acciaio Monetario Italiano / Italian monetary steel) was used for Turkish coins. It is a variant of stainless steel that is harder than silver or cupronickel hence requires specific machinery and expertize for processing.
Mazhar Nazım was one of the winning contestants of the coin design competition of 1934, organized for the cupronickel small change.
His models for the obverse were chosen but not realized.
Mazhar Nazım studied arts in Academy of Fine Arts and later masted on stained glass at the Decorative Arts Institute of Paris. After his return to Türkiye in 1933, he taught arts and crafts at Applied Fine Arts High School and Institute of Fine Arts for Girls (*source – TR).
24/091934 Son Posta – Nikel para yarışması sonucu
24 Eylül 1934 tarihli Akşam Gazetesindeki duyuru
25 Eylül 1934 tarihli Vakit Gazetesinden alıntı
For the reverse of the coins, Architect Nurettin‘s submission was chosen but not realised.
Minting the new coins could not be realized in 1934 and as relations with the Royal Mint deepened, Percy Metcalfe‘s designs were used on the coinage of 1935.
The faces of a coin are called “tura” (for heads) and “yazı” (for tails) in Turkish. Tura is derived from the tughra, Sultan’s seal/monogram found on Ottoman period coins and is used (mainly) for the side with the portrait of the ruler on modern coins. Tughra first used on coins struck in the name of Emir Suleyman, and appeared on coins until the end of the Ottoman Empire. “Yazı” means writing / inscription as to refer to the side with the value and other inscriptions.
Heads (or obverse) and tails (or reverse) sides of a coin can be positioned to align with each other either when rotated by the vertical or by the horizontal axis.
When the coin is hold upright on one side, and then rotated by the vertical axis; if the other side is still upright; this orientation is called medal alignment. as it resembles a pendant /medal. Medal alignment is represented by two upwards arrows (↑↑).
When one side is upright and the coin is rotated around its horizontal axis so to have the other side upright, it is in coin alignment. If rotated around the vertical axis, one of the faces of coins struck in coin alignment become upside down; hence, the symbol for coin orientation is two arros one upwards one downward (↑↓) ile belirtilir.
Turkish Republican circulation coins were initially struck in medal orientation. In 1947, they were switched to coin alignment.
Commemoratives were mainly struck in medal orientation.
In 2001 State Mint started minting circulation coinsagain in medal orientation.
Euro coins and many European coins are struck in medal orientation while the US coins have coin alignment.
