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500 Som
| Issuer | National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic |
|---|---|
| Year | 2005 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Giesecke & Devrient, Munich |
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| Obverse description | Intaglio portrait of Sayaqbay Qaralaev (1894–1971), the celebrated manaschi (reciter of the epic 'Manas'), positioned to the right centre, wearing a traditional Kyrgyz kalpak hat. The centre-left field carries an elaborate guilloche underprint with decorative folk-art motifs in violet and pink tones, overlaid by a transparent security window. The denomination numeral '500' appears in the upper right and lower left corners, with the Cyrillic bank name across the top and 'БЕШ ЖҮЗ СОМ' in bold lettering at the foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse carries a richly composed vignette of stylised imagery drawn from the Kyrgyz epic 'Manas', rendered in multicolour intaglio against a fine guilloche background. Ornamental folk patterns and epic scene motifs fill the central and lateral fields, evoking the visual tradition of Kyrgyz decorative art. The date '2005' and denomination '500' appear alongside the bank name and value inscription. |
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| Comments |
The 500 Som was introduced as Kyrgyzstan worked to consolidate a currency that had only existed since 1993 — the Som replaced the Soviet ruble after the Kyrgyz Republic opted out of the ruble zone, one of the last Central Asian states to do so. Giesecke & Devrient in Munich has handled much of the series, providing consistent technical production for a central bank still establishing its institutional footing in the post-Soviet period.
The P#23A designation distinguishes this 2005 issue from earlier printings of the same denomination, with differences typically subtle enough to require close comparison of serial number prefixes and signature combinations.