5 Tenge

Kazakhstan's first national coinage series, issued in 1993, accompanied the introduction of the tenge itself — a currency launched on November 15 of that year to replace the Soviet ruble after the USSR's dissolution. The transition was abrupt; citizens had three days to exchange rubles at a fixed rate before the old currency was rendered invalid.

The entire 1993 series was struck at the Kazakhmys facilities and at foreign mints under contract, as Kazakhstan had no established mint of its own at independence.