1 Soʻm

Uzbekistan's first sovereign currency series, introduced in November 1993 after a brief period using Russian ruble coupons, reflects the improvised speed of post-Soviet monetary separation. The 1 so'm belongs to a set hurriedly designed and printed as the newly independent republic scrambled to establish a functioning payments system — the notes were ready before the political groundwork for full convertibility was anywhere near complete.

The watermark is rudimentary by any standard, a reflection of the limited security printing infrastructure available to the issuer at the time.