20 Roubles Simon the Musician

Part of Belarus's long-running folklore series, this issue commemorates the figure of Simon the Musician from Belarusian folk tradition — a character whose origins are rooted in 19th-century oral literature rather than any single documented historical person. The National Bank of Belarus began issuing collector silver in earnest after 1995, and the folklore series became one of its most sustained numismatic programs, running across dozens of types through the 2000s.

The oxidized finish combined with an inset synthetic crystal was a production technique the Pobjoy Mint — contracted for several Belarusian issues of this period — used to differentiate collector pieces from standard bullion strikes.