5 Lari King Pharnavaz I

Pharnavaz I is traditionally credited as the founder of the Kartvelian kingdom and the first king of the Iberian Bagratid line, reportedly ruling in the 3rd century BC — though the historical record relies almost entirely on the medieval chronicle Kartlis Tskhovreba, making his biography as much mythology as documented history. Georgia has periodically issued commemoratives anchored to figures of national formation, and Pharnavaz occupies a foundational role in that narrative roughly analogous to a Romulus figure in the Roman tradition.

KM#129 is a recent addition to the National Bank's collector series, struck in sterling by a relatively modest program.