Catalog
100 Dram Sevan Trout
| Issuer | Central Bank of Armenia |
|---|---|
| Year | 2007 |
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| Thickness | 2.8 mm |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Armenian, Latin |
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| Reverse description | The central field features a finely detailed naturalistic depiction of the Sevan trout (Salmo ischchan) shown in profile facing left, with characteristic spotted markings rendered in relief against a stylized aquatic background of undulating water lines. The Latin binomial legend SALMO ISCHCHAN arcs along the upper border in a distinctive informal typeface. The Armenian word ԻՇԽԱՆ (meaning 'trout' or 'prince') is inscribed along the lower periphery in Armenian script. The composition emphasizes the endemic nature of this endangered species native to Lake Sevan. |
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| Additional information |
Issued as part of Armenia's long-running wildlife conservation series, this coin commemorates the Sevan trout — known locally as ishkhan — a species endemic to Lake Sevan that was driven to commercial extinction by the mid-20th century through a combination of deliberate water diversion projects and the Soviet-era introduction of competing fish species. The lake's surface level dropped nearly 20 meters between the 1930s and 1990s as water was siphoned for irrigation and hydroelectric generation.
Captive breeding programs have made partial progress since independence, but wild self-sustaining populations remain critically low.