Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Commemorative coins of Turkey : 04

It took a while since my previous post on Turkish commemorative coins, but thanks to my good friend, I'm able to continue this series of articles on the - amazing - commemorative coins of Turkey.

Each year (starting in 2009), Turkey has issued 2 commemorative coins on (endangered) animals living in Turkey.

older articles can be found under : http://rainbowstampsandcoins.blogspot.com/search/label/bimetallic coin

The two coins of the 2012 set are the Anatolian Leopard and the Red Deer.
Both coins share the same front side - showing the year 2012.
2012 front of the Turkish Commemorate coins

The Anatolian Leopard

The Anatolian Leopard, is certainly an endagered animal, and for a while it was even unsure if the rare leopard was still actually living in the anatolian/asian part of Turkey.
In the last 3 decades, only few animals were spotted, and unfortunately also captured and killed.
The latest report of a leopard dates from 2013 in the Trabzon area, and a captured animal in the same year is considered to be a Persian leopard
Also in the neighbouring country Syria, the last (Anatolian) leopard was spotted, and killed in 1963.
Leopard found further on, Galilee, Golan Heights and Judean Dessert, are Arabian Leopards.

This makes that the last official registered Anatolian Leopard in Turkey, dates from 1974 already.

Anatolian Leopard
Commemorative coin Turkey '12 - Anatolian Leopard

The coin :

  • Country : Turkey
  • Face Value : 1 Lira
  • Year : 2012
  • Mintage : 15 000
  • Weight (g) : 8,30
  • Diameter (mm) : 26,15
  • Alloy : Bimetal (CuNiZn)
  • Issue Date : October 23, 2012






The Red Deer

This animal is quite common and can be found all over Europe, from the Heigh North, till the Meditteranean Area, from Portugal to Minor Asia.

Red Deer
The Red Deer - and all of its 18 subspecies - is the fourth largest group of  deer species, behind moose, elk and sambar deer. Female species can weight up to 150 kilograms, and their male equivalents varie between 240, and even 500 kg (!) in the Carphatian Mountains... my dear ...

The coin :

Commemorative coin Turkey '12 - Red Deer
  • Face Value : 1 Lira
  • Year : 2012
  • Mintage : 15 000
  • Weight (g) : 8,30
  • Diameter (mm) : 26,15
  • Alloy : Bimetal (CuNiZn)
  • Issue Date : October 23, 2012








to be continued ...