Turkey: Metcalfe's alternative portrait of President İnönü

[<k>]

In 1935 Percy Metcalfe designed a new series of coins for Turkey.

See;  Turkey's modernised coinage of 1935

In 1937 Metcalfe's obverse and reverse designs for the 1 lira coin were finally issued.

The obverse carried a portrait of President Atatürk.

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President Atatürk died in 1938. He was succeeded by İsmet İnönü.

The first 1 lira coin bearing a portrait of the new president was issued in 1940.

This coin type was also issued in 1941.

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I am very grateful to the Royal Mint Museum.

They recently sent me an image of this plaster by Percy Metcalfe.

It portrays İsmet İnönü.


His portrait had appeared on a previous Turkish coin as early as 1923.

The remaining data about this piece is scarce.

However, I believe it dates to 1935.


At that time Percy Metcalfe was producing a new design series for Turkey.

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A similar image that the Royal Mint Museum sent me.

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The images here are courtesy of the Royal Mint Museum, to whom I am very grateful. Their website is well worth a visit:

The Royal Mint Museum

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İsmet İnönü was also the first prime minister of the Republic of Turkey.

He had appeared on some of the Turkish bullion coinage in 1923.

Above you see his portrait on a gold 500 kurus coin of 1923.


I do not know who designed this portrait.

You can compare it with Metcalfe's plaster.

Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

[chrisild]

Interesting that the name was actually not used on the issued coins. By the way, that motto on the last piece - Hakimiyet Milletindir - sounded familiar to me but I did not remember why and how ... and voilà. It is from the constitution but was also used during the attempted military coup three years ago ...

Christian

[quaziright]

It doesn't say 500kurus anywhere on the coin? What's the 20 under the date

[chrisild]

Not sure whether the face value is explicit (edge maybe? probably not with gold, but I don't know) or implicit, as in, a 250 kuruş piece is always 18.04g and a 500 kuruş (5 lira) piece is 36.08g. The nominal value is not that important anyway, as these coins commemorate anniversaries of 1923 when the Turkish Republic was founded.

Such a bullion piece will always say "Türkiye Cumhuriyeti 1923", followed by the year of the republic. So "year 20" should mean that the coin is from 1943, etc. As far as I know, these bullion coins are still minted these days, at least the version with Atatürk's portrait ...

Christian

[RnL]

He had appeared on some of the Turkish bullion coinage in 1923.

Above you see his portrait on a gold 500 kurus coin of 1923.

as Christian mentioned, the gold coin with the head of Inonu is from 1943 (these gold coins are dated in reference to the establishment of the Turkish Republic).
Inonu first appeared on the coins after he became the President of the Republic. The earliest I believe is 1940 silver 1 TL (km#869).
During his presidency, laws were passed so that only Ataturk's portrait can be used on the coins (as still is in effect today)

The portrait minted on the coins is quite similar to Metcalfe's model.
I tried to superimpose them on each other and - to me - it seems like the nose and chin have been slightly fine tuned for the final dies.

I am still researching Metcalfe's resulting role on the designs.
so far I am inclined to believe he made the intial designs and then the local engravers of the Turkish Mint were involved in producing the actual dies.

[<k>]

I am still researching Metcalfe's resulting role on the designs.
so far I am inclined to believe he made the intial designs and then the local engravers of the Turkish Mint were involved in producing the actual dies.

This is what the Royal Mint documents suggested that I saw.

The real mystery is the 1 lira wolf pattern. Why was it struck? Why was it not issued as a coin?

[RnL]

Grey Wolf is one of the symbols in Turkic mythology.

Iın the second half of the 1920'ies, there was a competition for the coat of arms for the new Republic, and wolf figures were suggested but didn't gain much popularity.
Yet there is a wolf on the first series of the Turkish Republican banknotes;printed in from 1927 in London by De la Rue printing Co.

image by Numista

I would assume Metcalfe thought of reviving the theme, but by 1935, wolf was already dropped from the official heraldry.

Besides, as can be seen within the Royal Mint Archives; the design wasn't popular internally either.
"...the flat haunch was adversely criticised, particularly by Sir Eric Maclagan. ...""

[<k>]

Image © Royal Mint Museum (UK).
Interesting. The flat haunch of the wolf was part of Metcalfe's attempt to give the design a streamlined art deco look, of course.

[krishna]

Looks more like an Egyptian dog

[chrisild]

Looks more like an Egyptian dog

... probably because such animals (jackal, etc.) are depicted in a stylized way when they are/were used as hieroglyphs, and Metcalfe's 1935 design series was stylized too. Basically plants though.