The history of the development of any state is inextricably linked with the origin and development of monetary coins. They can tell not only about the economy and politics of certain years, but also about life, culture and mores of people.
History of Armenian Currency
Coins of Armenia begin their history during the imperial reign of Sophena - III century BC The first copper coins appeared precisely with her. During the reign of Tigranes the Great, the minting of copper coins (hulk) and silver (drachm, tetradrachm) began. Production was carried out by Armenian and Syrian mints.
During the reign of the Artashes, coins were issued, which were divided into state and city. During excavations, money was found from the city of Artashat, which date back to the beginning of the 1st century A.D.
Silver drachma weighed 4.36 g. Nobody weighed copper money. Their shape cannot be called perfectly round, because they were minted by hand.
The first mention of the Yerevan Mint is found on banknotes that were in circulation of the Tatar-Mongols. In the period from the 19th century until the revolution, money was only a paper sample.
Banknotes in the post-Soviet period
After 1917, the money of the Provisional Government was issued. Then Armenia became a part of Transcaucasia, and the first banknotes decorated with Armenian words began to appear. The Yerevan branch of the state bank issued checks in 1919, called temporary. In 1920, the first bills printed in England appeared.
New coins of Armenia appeared in circulation when it became a republic within the USSR. After the formation of the Transcaucasian Federal Union until 1924, banknotes from 1 thousand to 1 billion rubles appeared. In 1924, Armenia became part of the USSR, and the money was a single sample for 70 years.
Modern coins
In 1993, the Central Bank of Armenia was founded, and on November 22 of the same year, a new Armenian currency , the dram, was introduced. The name comes from the word "drachm" and translates as "money."
The year 1994 was marked by the appearance of aluminum coins in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10 drams and 10, 20, 50 lumens. In 1 single drama 100 lum. Lumas got their name from the name of the ancient Roman coin - mite.
They changed their design of the coin of Armenia several times. The photos (modern money are made of steel, nickel, copper, aluminum and an alloy of brass) presented in the article show that the emblem, the inscription "Republic of Armenia" and the verbal designation of the denomination are depicted on the coins.
In 2003-04. a new batch of coins was issued:
- aluminum 10 dram;
- 20 - from steel with an admixture of copper;
- 50 - from steel and brass;
- 100 - nickel-plated steel;
- 200 from brass;
- 500 drams have a brass outer ring and a copper-nickel center.
Money made of metal has a standard appearance. The face value, surrounded by an unusual ornament on the obverse, and the state emblem with the inscription "Armenia" in their native language are on the reverse. The release date is on the rim of the coin.
Commemorative coins
Commemorative coins of Armenia (photo of which is presented in the article) are of particular value. This is explained by the material of manufacture and their rarity. The first coin of a collector type was issued in 1994 and had a face value of 25 drams. It was dedicated to the Sardarapat battle of 1918 between Armenians and Turks.
The collection series "Armenian Alphabet" consists of 78 coins. Of these, one half is silver, the second is gold.
There are many banknotes dedicated to the churches of Aomenia, khachkars, etc. The most coveted for numismatists are as follows:
- 2008 coin with the image of Armenian Catholicos. Its weight is 1 kg, it is completely made of gold;
- 1000 dram - silver coin. Released to the 100th birthday of astrophysicist Victor Hambartsumyan. Circulation - 500 units;
- gold monetary unit 10 thousand drams. Dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the writer William Saroyan, who has Armenian roots. Quantity - 1 thousand coins.
The last of the anniversary coins was issued in honor of the 25th anniversary of the independence of Armenia. At the moment, there are often coins of 50 drams dedicated to 11 regions of the country.
Collectible Armenian monetary units are the object of attention not only of numismatists-beginners, but also professionals in this matter.