Currency Today : Azerbaijan 9

On this final post on Azerbaijani banknotes, I would like to point at some similarities with the euro currencey.

First of all is the symbol for the manat currency:
₼ is the symbol, derived from the Azerbaijan 'm'. The designer of the banknotes of Azerbaijan, happens to be mr. Robert Kalina, who also designed the euro banknotes...
₼ and € do have a similar appearance, in my -humble- opinion.

100 manat detail sidewise

Secondly, all euro note from the second series, have lines (slashes) in their margins.
So do the manat notes (new design) have...
The difference is that manat notes have 'slashes' and euro notes have 'back slashes'

Azerbaijan manat notes vs euro notes

Another 'coincidence' is the European map on all 'old style' notes of Azerbaijan.
Of course, the map is supposed to be the same in all countries, but the map simply does not appear on other countries' notes...

Euro note vs Azerbaijan note

That is all about the Azarbaijani banknotes.

Currency Today : Azerbaijan 8

The last notes of the Azerbaijan banknote series, are a 200 manat note (in circulation), and the high value 500 manat note (commemorative note).
500 manat represents nearly $300 / €265, and is rarely seen.

the 200 manat note:

This note, is in design similar to the in between type of the 10 manat note.
We see left and right in the border the hook-style markings. Here we see 7 hooks.
Presuming that 1 manat should have had one hook, 5 manat 2 hooks, 10 has 3 hooks, 20 manat would mean 4 hooks, 50 manat 5 hooks, 100 manat 6 hooks, and so we end with 7 hooks on this note.

200 manat (not in my collection)

the 500 manat note:

On the 500 manat note, the second Nagorno-Karabakh war (ended in 2020) is commemorated.
Although the area is still highly disputed, it is recognized as Azerbaijani territory. (3 countries however recognize the area as an independent state).

500 manat commemorative note - not in my collection

In the margins, we find the lines as in the new style notes.
As the one manat note has 1 line, the 5 has 3 lines, 10 (5), the 20 manat note have 7 lines, there arer 9 lines on the 50 manat note, 100 was supposed to have 11 lines and 200 manat 13 lines...
So we end up with 15 lines (/) on this 500 manat note.

500 manat reverse

On the reverse side, we see the mausoleum of the poet and diplomat Molla Panah (named Vaqif), the 'learned one'. His mausoleum was destroyed in the first Nagorno-Karabakh war, when the city of Shusha was devastated.

Molla Panah Vaqif on stamp

to be continued...

Currency Today : Azerbaijan 7

100 manat :

The sixth banknote in use in Azerbaijan, is a 100 manat note.
Although there are two versions of the note in circulation, both belong to the 'old' style notes.
These are the ones with the white gap in left and right margin. The difference between the two notes is the date of issue, i.e. 2005 and 2013.

100 manat front

The main image on the banknote is a modern building, typically for the new part of the capital, Baku.
The smallest image is a medieval building, called the 'Gosha Gala Gapi' - the Paired Fortress Gate, or double gate. 

Gosah Gala Gapi or double gate in Baku.

This gate is the entrance to the old, historical city of Baku. Until the 19th century, it was also the only entrance.
Between the image of the double gate, and the image of the hyper modern building, we see other buildings, symbolizing the architectural progress.

As a security mark, a holograpich image of the map of Azerbaijan is printed in the lower right corner.

hologram of the map

On the left, we see the word 'MANAT' written in half. Holding the banknote against the light, the word is completed.
Since M, A and T are the same in mirror writing, we nearly see the word MANAT also appear when we hold the back side of the note against the light. Only the 'N' becomes a Russian 'И' in mirror writing.

The sixth coin, a 50 qəpik coin, is not following the line of the other coins/banknotes.
It is dedicated to the oil industry, Azerbaijan's most important export product.

50 qəpik

to be continued ...

Currency Today : Azerbaijan 6

50 manat note:

The fifth note in the current series of banknotes of Azerbaijan, is the 50 manat-note.
This note is dedicated to science and education. Again, two versions are in circulation.

50 manat - old style

In the 'old style' note, we see again the gap in the left and right border frame. Again this gap is larger than in the lower denomination.
We see two students and a teacher left of the staircase on the 1st version.

50 manat - new style

The renewed version has lines in the gap, meanwhile 9 (/).
Now we see 3 students and the teacher, (or is it a 'manat'-work?) and in the security thread, another student/teacher.
When you tilt the banknote, the golden security mark of the man becomes a moving object.
We see the man walking forward.

security thread 50 manat

security thread - walking man

Also the 5th coin shows a similar design.

20 qəpik

The 20 qəpik coin shows a spiral staircase, and mathematical symbols.
There is also a part of a pentagon, and an inscribed circle. This symbol only returns on the old style note.

detail of the 'old' 50 manat  note

to be continued ...

Currency Today : Azerbaijan 5

The fourth banknote in the current series of Azerbaijan is 20 manat.
On both, old and new design, we see a helmet, a sword and a shield. These are 3 symbols of the Nagorno-Karabakh army/region.
Under Russian influence (till 1991), the Nagorno-Karabakh region was more or less an autonomous region. The name of this area is actually the Russian name, meaning 'upper Karabakh'. In the area, people speak of Artsakh, wich is the Armenian (and historical) name.

Flag of Artsakh / Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh is an enclave of Armenian people, within the country of Azerbaijan.
After several wars and incidents in 1994 and 2020, the area was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan.

Map of Nagorno-Karabakh (source: Wikipedia)

Within the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, there are also 4 micro enclaves of by Azerbaijan governed places. The fact that the (former) republic of Artsakh is completely surrounded by Azerbaijan, made it hard to survive their own culture and language. Schooling, television, art and language was suppressed by the Azerbaijan rulers. The peace treaty of 2020 made it possible to have a protected corridor from Nagorno-Karabakh, to the Armenian border. The road between Lachin (AZ) and Tegh (AM) is the only 'life line' between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

Nagorno-Karabakh uses the internet code .am. They even have their own Nagorno-Karabakh money, but more commenly used is the Amenian money.

Nagorno-Karabakh note front

Nagorno-Karabakh note back

Now back to the 20 manat note from Azerbaijan:
The old style note has the gap in the boder frame - mind the gap becoming wider with each note.
The new style note, now has 7 lines (/).

20 manat - old style

20 manat - new style

In accordance with the logic of the previous notes, the fourth coin depics the same image as the 4th note:

10 qəpik coin, with helmet

to be continued...

Currency Today : Azerbaijan 4

10 manat:

The 3rd note (and coin) in the current Azerbaijani banknote series has 3 designs.

The first and thrid desing are similar to the 'old and new' design in the other notes.
There is however a second design, that holds the middle between the old and the new note.

design 1 : 2005

design 1:
security features, is the (extending) gap in the borders (comare to 1 and 5 manat old style)

design 3:
here we find the security features of the 'new' desing, the extending number of lines in the margins: now 5, compared to 1 (1 manat) and 3 (5 manat).

design 3 : 2021

design 2 is the 'in between design':
the gap in the margin is similar to design 1, but there are some lines (hooks) that are similar to design 3.
The yellow and blue markings from design 1 are gone, and remain gone in design 3.

design 2 (in between) 2018

On all designs, the theme image is history. We see a stylized representation of Old Baku, the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden’s Tower all depicted on a background of brics, of the Icheri Sheher wall.

stylized map of old Baku

The old city of Baku, still has the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, a 15th century palace, built by the Shirvanshahs. It is Unesco world heritage, and considerend as one of  the pearls of Azerbaijans architecture.
In the right corner at the bottom, near the stylized river, we also see the Maiden tower. This tower is depicted on the 1st series of banknotes too.
The Maiden tower is older than the palace, and dates back to the 12th century.
Fire was made on the top of the tower, to serve as light house, and to frighten enemies.
However, the legend speaks of a red haired virgin, living in the tower, protecting the citizens of Baku.
The conqueror, who didn't know she was a girl in the beginning, was defeated, and asked to spare his life.
Like in all good stories, they fell in love, and the city was saved from foreign occupation.

the Palace of the Shirvanshahs

Baku's Maiden Tower

100 old manat (AZM) with Maiden Tower

Finally, the 3rd coin (5 qəpik) follows the design, and depicts as well the Maiden Tower:

Maiden Tower on 5 qəpik

to be continued...

Currency Today : Azerbaijan 3

5 manat note:

Although the second coin is 3 qəpik, the second banknote is 5 manat.

3 qəpik

The design is similar, we see books and a feather on the 3 qəpik coin, and the 5 manat note.

Also here, two versions are in circulation, the old design and the new design.

5 manat - old design

5 manat - new design

In both designs, we see some books. The note therefore is dedicated to the literature of Azerbaijan.
The country has the largest collections of miniature books in the world, and the only museum of miniature books in the world! It is located in the old town of Baku.

largest collection of miniature books in the world

In its collection there are the 3 smallest books in the world, measuring 2 by 2 milimeter each!

Some of the security marks on both notes, are the white gap in the left margin of the old note (see also margin of the 1 manat note). This gap is a bit larger then the lower denomination.
For the new design, where the 1 manat note had one line (/), the 5 manat note has 3 lines (///)

1 manat with one line, 5 manat with 3 lines

to be continued...

 

Currency Today : Azerbaijan 2

The first series of Manat notes in Azerbaijan, were issued between 1919 and 1923.
After the first World War, Azerbaijan had its own banknotes, before they were incorporated in the former Sovjet Union. Already then, the money was 'kopeks and rubles', like in Russia.

After the independence of 1991, a new currency was introduced, the Manat, devided in 100 qəpik.
The word 'qəpik' (kae-pic) is clearly derived from the Russian word 'kopek'.
But also the word manat has surprising roots. The consonants M-N-T/D refer to MoNeT/Da, the Latin word for coin (money).

Where the first Manat-series after the Russian ruble, got the international code AZM (AZerbaijan Manat), the new currency was given the code AYM at first. Since the manat underwent a devaluation (5000 old manat became one new manat), a new code was required. But erroneously this code (AYM) was not correct according the ISO-rules, hence it became AZN in 2006.

Since 2005 the new manat is used, and currently two different designs are in use.
The first design (2005) was replaced by a 'refurbished' design in 2017. Both versions are still legal tender and the old notes are gradualy replaced by the new ones.

1 manat note:

Image below : two versions of the 1 manat note.

1 manat (2005 and 2020)

On the 1 manat note, we find three typical Azerbaijani instruments : tar, kamancha and daf.

Daf-drum and tar (guitar)

kamancha instrument

Azerbaijani players with their instuments

The same instrument on the 'first' banknote, is also depicted on the 'first' coin (1 qəpik).

1 qəpik - instruments

reverse side of 1 manat
old and new design

The new design has a line ( / ) in the left and right margin, in the old design, there is a white gap in the border frame.

1 manat old and new design

to be continued ...

Currency Today : Azerbaijan 1

After the dissolution of the former USSR, various states became independent. One of them was Azerbaijan.

To most people, Azerbaijan was not that known, until Ell and Nikki won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011. The whole festival moved to Baku the next year, and so a lot of people saw images of the most eastern of all europan countries. Nearly 90% of Azerbaijan's economy is based on the export of all kinds of oil products.

Azerbaijan is also known for the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabach, an area with an Armenian majority.
This region has been subject to several wars, where some degree of independency was given and taken from the Armenian people living there. Currently Nagorno-Karabach is recognized as Azerbaijan territory.
Strangely enough, the country exists out of two parts, and the smaller part in the south west, is acualy and enclave of Azerbaijani people in the country of Armenia.

Map of Azerbaijan

Looking at the Azerbaijani flag, we see a star and a crescent.
These symbols can also be found on the flag of Turkey, neighbour of Azerbaijan.
This is no coincidence, as Azerbaijani is also a Turkic language, and also spoken in Türkiye.
Arabic, Latin and Cyrillic writing is used.

Flag of Azerbaijan

There are 6 coins in use, 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 50 qəpik.
On the reverse side, we find the face value, and a map of Azerbaijan.

1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 50 qəpik

The value '3' is less common to most of us, but was already used in Russia, and in Cuba.

On the obverse side, we find again the face value, but now with different images.

1, 3 and 5 qəpik

10, 20 and 50 qəpik

The music instrument on the 1 qəpik (kae-pik) coin, returns in the 1 Manat note, the books in the 3 qəpik coin, is repeated in the 5 Manat note.
On the 5 qəpik coin we see a building, this image returns on the 10 Manat note.
The crown on the 10 qəpik coin, also is seen on the 20 Manat note, and the stairs on the 20 qəpik coin can be found again on the 50 Manat note.
The 50 kqəpik coin, is the only bimetallic coin. It illustrates the oil industry in the country.

1 and 3 qəpik coins are rarely used, but still part of the set of coins.
There is no date of issue on any of the coins!

to be continued ...