Catalog
20 Somoni
| Issuer | National Bank of Tajikistan |
|---|---|
| Year | 2000-2010 |
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| Value | 20 Somoni |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980–1037), the renowned Persian polymath and physician of the Islamic Golden Age, rendered in intaglio against a fine guilloche underprint. The issuer's name in Cyrillic script and the denomination value are inscribed around the portrait, with decorative floral border elements framing the composition. The numeral '20' appears on the note alongside the Tajik-script denomination. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central intaglio vignette of the Hisor (Hissar) Fortress gate with its two characteristic cylindrical towers, captioned 'ҚАЛЪАИ ҲИСОР' below, set against a fine guilloche underprint in warm ochre and pale blue tones. To the right, a pale blue watermark-style vignette of traditional Tajik ceramic vessels serves as a secondary design element, while the upper-right corner bears a vignette of the national flag of Tajikistan rendered in full colour. A broad ornamental border panel in terracotta runs along the left margin, incorporating the bank's name in Latin script and stylised floral and geometric motifs. |
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| Comments |
The somoni series was introduced in 2000 when Tajikistan replaced the transitional Tajik ruble — itself only issued in 1995 after the Russian ruble collapsed in the region. The country had spent most of the 1990s in civil war, and the new currency was a deliberate act of national consolidation, named after Ismoil Somoni, the 9th-century Samanid ruler claimed as a founding figure of Tajik cultural identity.
P#17 was printed across a span of dated issues within this decade, with no significant design changes between them. Circulation wear on low denominations in Tajikistan tends to be severe given banking infrastructure constraints in rural areas.