BANKNOTES OF ARMENIA
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Date	Pick#	Denomination	Observations	Obverse	Reverse
1993	33	10 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Monument to David of Sasoun, symbolizing freedom-loving nature of Armenian people Reverse Design: Mountain of Ararat
1993	34	25 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Picture of lion of Erebouni foster and cuneiform stone Reverse Design: Ornaments
1993	35	50 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Buildings of State History Museum and Gallery Reverse Design: Building of National Assembly
1993	36	100 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Church of Zvartnots (641-661)-one of the most significant constructions in Armenia Reverse Design: The Building of Theatre of Opera and Ballet
1993	37	200 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Church of Saint Hripsime (built in 618) Reverse Design: Ornaments
1993	38	500 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Reverse Design:
1994	39	1000 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Reverse Design:
1995	40	5000 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Reverse Design:
1998	41	50 Dram
Obverse Design: Armenian great composer Aram Khachatryan (1903-1978) and House of Opera Reverse Design: An episode from "Gayaneh" ballet and mountain of Ararat
1998	41	50 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Armenian great composer Aram Khachatryan (1903-1978) and House of Opera Reverse Design: An episode from "Gayaneh" ballet and mountain of Ararat
1998	42	100 Dram
Obverse Design: Armenian astrophisic Victor Hambartsumyan (1908-1996) and depiction of space Reverse Design: The Building of Byurakan observatory and telescope
1998	42	100 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Armenian astrophisic Victor Hambartsumyan (1908-1996) and depiction of space Reverse Design: The Building of Byurakan observatory and telescope
1999	44	500 Dram
Obverse Design: Armenian great architect Alexander Tamanyan (1878-1936) Reverse Design: The House of the Government of the Republic of Armenia
1999	44	500 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Armenian great architect Alexander Tamanyan (1878-1936) Reverse Design: The House of the Government of the Republic of Armenia
1999	45	1000 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: A portrait of an Armenian famous writer Yeghishe Charents Reverse Design: A picture of old Yerevan - a two-storeyed building and a carriage harnessed by two horses
1999	46	5000 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Armenian great writer Hovhannes Tumanyan (1869-1923) Reverse Design: M.Saryan's picture depicting nature of Lory.
1999	48	20,000 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Armenian famous painter Martiros Saryan (1880-1972) Reverse Design: A fragment from Saryan's landscape "Armenia"
2001	49	50,000 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Depiction of Mother Cathedral of Holy Echmiadzin Reverse Design: Armenian Church in the hands of Saint Gregory the illuminator and the king Tiridat the Great
2001	50	1000 Dram
Obverse Design: A portrait of an Armenian famous writer Yeghishe Charents Reverse Design: A picture of old Yerevan - a two-storeyed building and a carriage harnessed by two horses
2001	50	1000 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: A portrait of an Armenian famous writer Yeghishe Charents Reverse Design: A picture of old Yerevan - a two-storeyed building and a carriage harnessed by two horses
2003	51	5000 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Armenian great writer Hovhannes Tumanyan (1869-1923) Reverse Design: M.Saryan's picture depicting nature of Lory.
2003	52	10,000 Dram	SPECIMEN
Obverse Design: Armenian great writer Avetik Isahakyan (1875-1957) Reverse Design: Depiction of Gyumri of the beginning of the 20th century

From 1924 until 1993 Armenia used Soviet banknotes and coins.
Click here to see the notes of the former Soviet Union

NB: Pick #43 and #47 were skipped in the Standard Catalogue of World Paper Money Vol III as they were anticipating the issue of new 200 Dram and 10,000 Dram notes in the 1999 series. This section has yet to be renumbered.

The history of the currency of the Armenia
Armenia formerly a soviet socialist republic within the USSR., gained its' independence by referendum in 1991. In 1993 the Central Bank of Armenia was founded and was given the task of creating Armenia's national currency.  It was decided to call the new currency the "Dram", the Armenian word meaning money. The new national currency went into circulation in November of 1993 at a rate of 200 Russian rubles to one dram.  Initially in late 1993 only banknotes were put into circulation with Russian currency circulating alongside the dram.  The first series of banknotes were issued in denominations of 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500 Dram, later that year a 1000 Dram note was issued as well. It was not until January of the new year that the bank started to mint its' own coins. In 1998 The Central Bank released a new series of banknotes, and in 2003 the coins were again redesigned.  The 50, 100 and 200 Dram notes were removed from circulation and replaced with coins, these notes lost along with the original series lost their legal tender status in 2004 but are exchangeable at any commercial bank in Armenia without time limit.  There is a new bi-metal 500 Dram which has been put into circulation which circulates alongside the 500 Dram note.  At the time of writing, there has been no move to remove the current 500 Dram note from circulation.

The ISO 4217 code for the Armenian Dram is AMD and the Dram is divided into 100 luma. Due to the nominal value luma are not used in transactions today and the lowest coin is 10 Dram.

Currently banknotes in Armenia come in denominations of 500, 1000, 5000, 10 000, 20 000 and 50 000 Dram and coins come in 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Dram. The Central Bank of Armenia is the sole issuer of banknotes and coins in the Republic

BANKNOTE NEWSWIRE
Armenia will be releasing a new 10,000 Dram note on 31 May 2006 See Article HERE.

Other Armenian banknote resources on the web:
Central Bank of Armenia
Armenia's Central Bank website, it is available in English as well as of course Armenian, it has a section dedicated to Armenian banknotes with photos. The Central Bank of Armenia does have a numismatic program and there is info on their site about obtaining Armenian commemorative coins and other numismatic items.

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Page created:     4 June 2006
Last Update:      13 June 2006

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