Banknotes of states are true masterpieces of visual art. What do they depict? Typically, banknotes feature a coat of arms, a portrait of the head of state or a famous compatriot, a monument of antiquity, or a landscape characteristic of the country. Soviet money usually depicted the portrait of Lenin, a worker, and a peasant. On English banknotes, we see Saint George striking a dragon with a spear, and a lion holding a key with a chain.
On Greek money, there are portraits of great philosophers, images of gods and goddesses, scenes from famous naval battles and land battles.
One of the Danish banknotes features the portrait of the fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, while another features the portrait of the famous sculptor Thorvaldsen. Images of female heads are invariably present on Italian money. All Canadian banknotes from 1954 feature the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and landscapes. Each of the U.S. bills features portraits of outstanding statesmen - Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and others. Swiss money is distinguished by various designs: working people, celebrated figures, beautiful flowers, and on the 1000 franc banknote from 1954, there is an image of the "Dance of Death." Death in a dark cloak approaches an old man, carries away a young man, and waltzes with a girl.
The life of a banknote is given by the artist who makes the sketch, the engraver transfers it to metal, and printing begins from the finished plate. Nowadays, workers in mints are assisted by smart computers, but it is still very challenging to create a miniature multicolored engraving such that no stroke of the drawing merges with another, ensuring that all lines are clear and that the colorful tones are pure and bright.
A special mesh, design, subtlety of color transitions, clean printing, and watermarks make money not only works of art but also difficult to counterfeit. Alas... Despite the fact that in ancient Rome, a counterfeit slave was executed, and a Roman citizen was fed to wild beasts, and in Russia, counterfeiters had molten lead poured down their throats, limbs severed, terrible punishments awaited them in other countries as well, - despite all these fears, money was counterfeited and, unfortunately, is still counterfeited today.
When considering how Kyrgyz money might look, the thought of "Manas" - the Kyrgyz national epic, which holds a special place among the monuments of ancient epic poetry of the world's peoples, immediately comes to mind. For ten centuries, it has been not only a source of knowledge but also inspired and warmed the people. Elders recall how in the bitter year of 1916 for the Kyrgyz, as well as in subsequent years when famine ravaged the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions, and in the Chui Valley, people gathered to listen to wandering singers - ырычы, and how their hearts warmed at the performance of excerpts from the epics "Kurmanbek" and "Semetei," the eternal book "Manas." The living water drawn from these life-giving sources revived the dreams of the people, their will, and faith in a happy future....
It seems that the depiction of Manas on the national currency has become yet another testament to the reverence for the immortal epic, just as the reproduction of the color photograph of the statue of Manas does. The image of the unique monument of history and architecture of Kyrgyzstan from the second half of the 10th century - the Burana Tower - will always remind us of the history of Kyrgyzstan. This was the time of the greatest flourishing of the Karakhanid state and one of its capitals - Balasagun, on the territory of which the preserved tower stands. The minaret itself was apparently part of the Juma Mosque complex, which was destroyed by time. Its appearance has been captured multiple times on various badges, medals, and souvenirs.
