10 Som Sovereign Kyrgyzstan

Issued to mark the twentieth anniversary of Kyrgyz independence, declared in August 1991 following the collapse of Soviet authority in the republic. The som itself was introduced only in 1993, replacing the Soviet ruble at a time when Kyrgyzstan was among the first former Soviet states to launch its own currency — a decision driven partly by Russia's delay in supplying ruble banknotes to the region.

The bimetallic construction, silver centre within a gold ring, was produced in limited quantities as a commemorative and never entered general circulation.