500 Tenge Year of the Mouse, Gold

Kazakhstan's lunar series follows the Chinese zodiac calendar adopted widely across Central Asian commemorative programs after the 1990s, with the Mouse year issues typically seeing modest mintages aimed at regional collectors and the export gift market. The 2020 release coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted distribution channels and left portions of many Central Asian commemorative runs sitting in mint inventories well past their intended sale windows.