1000 Manat Markhor

The markhor (Capra falconeri) was listed as endangered by the IUCN throughout the 2000s, and Turkmenistan's mountain population in the Köpetdag range represented one of the species' more precarious regional strongholds. Commemorative issues tied to endangered fauna were a common instrument among Central Asian mints during this period, often produced in small editions for the international collector market rather than domestic circulation.

Struck on the standard 28.28g crown blank widely used by Commonwealth and affiliated mints for commemorative contracts — the same specification as dozens of issues from this era across multiple issuing authorities.