Born in 1956, the artist worked at the State Mint between 1969 and 1997. Engin Akarslan is also the creator of the obverse design with the inscription “TÜRKİYE CUMHURİYETİ” (Turkish Republic, Republic of Türkiye) and the wreath comprised of an ear of wheat and olive branch. This obverse pattern was used on many commemorative coins struck after 1979 (*1).
He also designed following commemoratives
Obverse of various commemorative coins firstly 1979 International Year of the Child
1985 40th anniversary of FAO
1992 30th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Türkiye
1994 Centenary of the International Olympic Committee
Obverse of various commemorative coins firstly 1979 International Year of the Child
40th anniversary of FAO
1985 40th anniversary of FAO
1992 30th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Türkiye
obverse of the 50.000 Lira commemorative
1994 Centenary of the International Olympic Committee
[1] (*27, foreword describing the “front face” of a commemorative).
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.
