5 Somoni

Tajikistan's shift to higher-denomination circulating coinage in the 2010s followed chronic shortages of smaller coins that had plagued everyday commerce since the somoni's introduction in 2000. The 5 somoni denomination was introduced to reduce dependence on paper notes that deteriorated quickly in the country's economic conditions. KM#48 is the bimetallic-free version, struck entirely in nickel brass rather than the ringed bimetallic construction used in some regional contemporaries — a production cost decision reflecting the National Bank's budget constraints.