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500 Tenge The Thinker

Issuer National Bank of Kazakhstan
Year 2004
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Reference(s) KM#187
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Obverse script Cyrillic/Latin
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Reverse description Stylised depiction of a solitary human figure — the 'Thinker' — rendered in a contemplative pose and set against an abstract composition of fragmented rock forms evoking the petroglyphs of Tamgaly-Tas, a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site in Kazakhstan. The design employs a combination of mirror-polished and frosted relief surfaces to create dramatic contrast between the figure and the angular stone elements surrounding it. The circular legend is divided between Kazakh Cyrillic and Latin transliterations of the site name and subject, reading '• ТАМҒАЛЫТАС • ОЙШЫЛ •' in the upper arc and '• THE TAMGALYTAS • THE THINKER •' in the lower arc.
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Additional information

Issued as part of Kazakhstan's early 2000s commemorative program, this coin was struck at the Kazakhstan Mint in Ust-Kamenogorsk, which had only been operational as an independent national facility since 1992 — a direct consequence of the Soviet dissolution forcing former republics to establish their own monetary infrastructure almost overnight. The choice of Rodin's sculpture as subject reflects the cultural outreach ambitions of a young state still building its international profile.

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