10 Som

Kyrgyzstan introduced its national currency, the som, in May 1993 — a rapid exit from the Russian ruble zone driven by Moscow's increasingly chaotic monetary policy in the post-Soviet collapse. The 1994-dated notes represent the first full printing run after the initial emergency issue, produced as the National Bank moved to stabilize a currency that had already shed significant value against the dollar in its first year of existence.

Printed by the Canadian Bank Note Company, this series was funded in part through IMF technical assistance programs aimed at helping newly independent states establish functional monetary infrastructure.