Coins of Kyrgyzstan
The Emergence of Money.
Since ancient times, people have provided for their basic needs by exchanging products and items with one another. For example, one tribe lived in an area with salt deposits, while another engaged in agriculture and grew wheat. They exchanged these products. Archaeologists have established that such mutual exchange among people existed tens of thousands of years ago.
Over time, the value of certain items increased significantly, and they began to serve as a sort of standard for conducting exchanges. Thus, the prerequisites for the emergence of money were created, and money itself became a very convenient medium of exchange, a commodity easily applicable for trading for any other goods.
However, money in our current understanding did not appear immediately. In various historical epochs, people used different items as money. Initially, beautiful shells, animal hides, precious stones, salt, and even such exotic items as dog teeth served as money. Later, livestock—bulls, cows, or sheep—became the measure of value. References to this can be found in the works of the ancient Greek poet Homer in the poem "Iliad":
...Some traded with iron,
Some with shining bronze,
Some with the hide of a bull,
Some with the bull itself or slaves...
With the development of trade, metal castings became a unified and convenient medium of exchange, as they were less prone to spoilage, stored well, and were easier to carry. For this purpose, bronze, copper, iron, and later more precious metals—silver and gold—were used. Various signs, inscriptions, and images were applied to the surface of coins, making it easier to distinguish their denominations. Thus, money was born.
It has been established that the first money appeared in China over 3,000 years ago and only later in other countries. In many cases, the obverse of the coin featured images of gods, rulers, and sacred animals with explanatory inscriptions—legends. For example, on a silver coin from ancient Athens (5th century BC) tetradrachm, the goddess Athena is depicted. On coins found in Kyrgyzstan dating back to the 15th-12th centuries BC, inscriptions such as “all-powerful khan,” “victorious ruler,” and “support of the people” are often encountered. Paper money was also first produced in China in the 7th century BC.
Coins Tell About the Past.
The images and inscriptions on coins can supplement our knowledge of historical events with new unknown information, sometimes even not contained in written sources or archaeological data. They help to lift the veil of mystery over historical past, bringing clarifications and clarity to existing information. The content of gold or silver in coins allows us to judge the economic state of a country. From coins, we can establish the names of rulers or the names of cities, determine how people of a certain state looked, which gods they worshipped, and what they traded in. Studying the buildings and structures depicted on coins from thousands of years ago can help scholars reconstruct their original appearance. For example, on one of the coins of Ancient Greece, the theater of Dionysus was depicted against the backdrop of the Athenian Acropolis. While researching the Acropolis hill, archaeologists noticed this image, particularly the arrangement of buildings on the hill. This helped them tentatively identify the location where the theater of Dionysus might have been and subsequently find the ruins of the ancient structure.
What is Numismatics?
This story took place in one of the remote areas of Kyrgyzstan. A twelve-year-old boy named Akmat was helping his father dig a ditch. Suddenly, his spade struck something hard. He carefully cleared the soil and saw a cracked clay pot and scattered coins darkened by time. The pot was full of ancient coins. Akmat and his father decided to take their find to the district museum. Specialists studied it and established that the coins were minted in Kyrgyzstan in the 11th-12th centuries AD. The history of Kyrgyzstan was enriched with another testimony. The science that studies and examines ancient coins is called numismatics (from the Latin word “numisma” — coin).
Coins of Kyrgyzstan.
Starting from the 2nd century BC, an important caravan trade route of antiquity and the Middle Ages, connecting the East and the West, passed through the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan — the Great Silk Road. The rapid development of trade, the lively movement of caravans in all directions carrying fabrics and various goods, large trade fairs, and wealthy merchants—all this created favorable conditions for improving the lives of the local population and enhancing its well-being. Therefore, it is not surprising that large hoards of ancient coins have been found in various corners of Kyrgyzstan.
In 1972, on the outskirts of Bishkek, schoolchildren found https://www.open.kg/about-kyrgyzstan/kyrgyz-economy/finance/page,5,638-ot-rakoviny-i-medi-do-serebra-i-zolota.html. Research conducted by scientists showed that they were minted in China 2,000 years ago. These coins are considered the oldest of all found on the territory of the republic. Among such finds, coins from ancient foreign states are often encountered.
As for local coins, the oldest found date back to the 8th century AD—the era of the Türgesh Khaganate. They were made of bronze and had a quadrangular hole for tying them with strings or leather straps. The reverse side of the coin bore the inscription “Lord of the Türgesh Khagan. Fan,” while the obverse featured the emblem of the Türgesh. The fan coins were minted in the ancient cities of the Chuy Valley—Suyab, Navakat.
In the 11th century, the powerful rulers of the Karahanid dynasty began minting not only bronze but also silver coins. They were called dirhams. The legends on the dirhams were written in Arabic. During this period in Kyrgyzstan, alongside local coins, foreign coins were also in circulation. Gold dinars were particularly valued, although their quantity was limited. Numerous coins from this era, found in various parts of Kyrgyzstan, played a significant role in determining and clarifying the history of the Karahanids.
The invasion of the Mongol-Tatar conquerors led to the decline of wealthy cities and trade. During this period, coin minting in Kyrgyzstan almost completely ceased. From later sources, it became known that a small number of dirhams were produced in the city of Osh. In mountainous areas, local coins were not used for a long time and practically disappeared from circulation. In the 18th century, with the formation of the Kokand Khanate, coins minted in Kokand began to circulate. The famous Kazakh scholar, educator, and traveler Chokan Valikhanov, who visited Kyrgyzstan in the late 1850s, wrote that the Kyrgyz used animal skins, sheep, and silver ingots as currency. After Kyrgyzstan joined the Russian Empire, the population began to use Russian currency. With the establishment of Soviet power in 1917, Soviet money was introduced.
The Introduction of National Currency in Kyrgyzstan. With the proclamation of independence in 1991, the prerequisites for the introduction of national currency were created in the republic. On May 10, 1993, Kyrgyzstan became the first in Central Asia to introduce its own national currency — the som. The som banknotes of various denominations feature portraits of outstanding figures from the past and present of Kyrgyzstan who played an important role in its history and culture. The tyiyn—the fractional paper coin—bears elements of national symbolism and national ornament.
The names of the national currency reflect traditional concepts related to the processes of exchange, buying, selling, etc. Thus, the word “som” means a metal ingot—iron, silver, or gold—that once served as a measure of value, while the word “tyiyn” refers to a squirrel, the skin of which the Kyrgyz have historically exchanged for necessary items.
In honor of the 1000th anniversary of the epic “Manas”, commemorative gold and silver coins depicting the legendary Manas were issued in 1995.
Interestingly, the words that generally denote money in the Kyrgyz language—“tyiyn,” “tenge”—are fundamentally related to the Latin word “moneta,” which, in turn, is derived from the word “moneo”—“I warn, be cautious.” According to legend, the goddess Juno warned the Romans about an impending earthquake. In gratitude, the Romans built a temple on the Capitoline Hill and named it after the goddess Juno Moneta. In the second half of the 4th century BC, the first minting workshop for metal money was established at the temple in Rome. Over time, such workshops became known as mints, and the metal money produced in them became known as coins.
