Armenia's National Assembly building had been gutted by fire in 1994, just a year before this coin's issue — the structure was still under reconstruction when the mint received the order. The 500 Dram silver program of 1995 was part of a broader push to establish the dram's credibility internationally; Armenia had only introduced its own currency in November 1993, abandoning the Soviet-era ruble transition tokens it had briefly used.
At 155.52 grams of .999 fine silver, this is a five-troy-ounce piece — a format favored for prestige bullion issues of the period, particularly among newly independent states using proof coinage as a form of diplomatic and collector outreach.
Armenia's National Assembly building had been gutted by fire in 1994, just a year before this coin's issue — the structure was still under reconstruction when the mint received the order. The 500 Dram silver program of 1995 was part of a broader push to establish the dram's credibility internationally; Armenia had only introduced its own currency in November 1993, abandoning the Soviet-era ruble transition tokens it had briefly used.
At 155.52 grams of .999 fine silver, this is a five-troy-ounce piece — a format favored for prestige bullion issues of the period, particularly among newly independent states using proof coinage as a form of diplomatic and collector outreach.