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10 Apsars The New Afon Cathedral of St. Simon Zelotes, Apostle, gold-plating
| Issuer | Bank of Abkhazia |
|---|---|
| Year | 2011 |
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| Currency | Apsar |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Cyrillic, Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a selectively gold-plated three-dimensional depiction of the Cathedral of St. Simon the Zealot (Apostle) at New Athos (New Afon), Abkhazia, rendered in fine relief and occupying the right and lower center of the field. The cathedral is shown in three-quarter perspective, its domed roof and stone walls highlighted by the selective gold plating against the mirrored silver field. To the upper left, a decorative ecclesiastical medallion with a cross and chalice symbols appears in silver relief. The curved Cyrillic legend 'АЦҚЬА СИМОН КАНАНИТ ИЗКУ АФОН ҾЫЦТӘИ АНЫХА' (The New Afon Cathedral of St. Simon Zelotes, Apostle) arcs around the upper periphery, while the inscription 'IX-X ашə.' in the lower field denotes the cathedral's construction period in the 9th–10th centuries. |
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| Additional information |
Abkhazia's coin program has functioned as a form of de facto diplomatic signaling since the territory declared independence from Georgia in 1992 — an independence recognized by fewer than a handful of UN member states. The Bank of Abkhazia issues currency with no meaningful circulation function; the Russian ruble does all the practical work. These coins exist to assert statehood through the visual grammar of numismatics.
The New Athos monastery complex, founded by Russian monks from Mount Athos in 1875, survived Soviet closure and the 1992–1993 war with Georgia before reopening as a functioning religious site — making it a charged symbol in the post-conflict republic. The selective gold plating on this issue targets the cathedral's gilded architectural elements specifically, a deliberate production choice rather than decorative habit.