Catalog
500 Somoni
| Issuer | National Bank of Tajikistan |
|---|---|
| Year | 2018-2022 |
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| Reference(s) | P#22B |
| Obverse description | Central vignette presents a portrait of Abūabdullohi Rūdakī (858–941), the Persian poet regarded as the founder of Tajik classical literature and the first great literary genius of Modern Persian. Cyrillic inscriptions identify the issuing authority and denomination, framed by guilloche underprint work typical of modern security printing. The overall composition balances the portrait with decorative geometric patterning across the note field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents an architectural vignette of the Palace of the Nation in Dushanbe, the official presidential residence and administrative seat of Tajikistan. The Presidential standard and the National flag of Tajikistan are rendered alongside the palace, lending an emblematic, ceremonial character to the composition. Lettering in both Cyrillic and Latin scripts appears within the design, accompanied by a statutory warning against counterfeiting. |
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| Comments |
Tajikistan's highest-denomination note by face value, the 500 Somoni was introduced as the country's currency — named after the Samanid dynasty founder Ismoil Somoni — was still struggling to establish credibility following the catastrophic depreciation of the Soviet ruble and the short-lived Tajik ruble during the 1990s civil war period. The somoni itself only replaced the interim ruble in 2000, at a rate of 1,000 to one.
The P#22B suffix distinguishes a revised signature variety within the broader 500 Somoni series, reflecting a change in bank leadership rather than any redesign of the note itself.