Belarus has maintained an unusual tradition of commemorative bimetallic circulation strikes long after most post-Soviet states abandoned the format as economically unworkable. This particular issue honors the steam locomotive heritage of the Belarusian Railway, a state entity that traces its operational history to the 1870s under the Russian Empire and survived both World Wars largely by evacuating its own rolling stock eastward ahead of advancing German forces.
The copper-plated steel ring construction reflects ongoing materials cost management by the National Bank, which shifted away from solid copper-nickel alloy blanks after 2016.
Belarus has maintained an unusual tradition of commemorative bimetallic circulation strikes long after most post-Soviet states abandoned the format as economically unworkable. This particular issue honors the steam locomotive heritage of the Belarusian Railway, a state entity that traces its operational history to the 1870s under the Russian Empire and survived both World Wars largely by evacuating its own rolling stock eastward ahead of advancing German forces.
The copper-plated steel ring construction reflects ongoing materials cost management by the National Bank, which shifted away from solid copper-nickel alloy blanks after 2016.