Kazakhstan’s New 20,000 Tenge – Memorable on so many counts
The National Bank of Kazakhstan is renowned for its early adoption of high-tech security and innovative design, and has established itself as a testing ground for new features, with these trialled on commemorative and house notes before being adopted on circulating notes. As a result, it has received a number of international awards and accolades over recent years for the innovation and bold expressions of the country’s aspirations in these notes.
The latest to be issued, the 20,000 tenge marking the 30th anniversary of independence, is no exception, and is memorable on a number of counts. Not only does it contain a unique combination of features, some used for the first time in a note, but is an outstanding example of two competing suppliers bringing their expertise together.
The Republic of Kazakhstan, which straddles Central Asia and Eastern Europe, is the world’s largest landlocked country, and the ninth largest in size. With a population of 19 million, it has among the lowest population densities in the world. It is dominant nation of Central Asia economically and politically, generating 60% of the region’s GDP, primarily through its oil and gas industry. It also has vast mineral resources. It became the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence, in December 1991.
The currency, the tenge, was introduced two years later, in November 1993, to replace the Soviet ruble. The current Samruk series, introduced from 2011 onwards, is denominated in values of 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000. Last year, a 200 bimetallic coin was issued which will replace the note of the same value.
The circulating 20,000 tenge, which was introduced in 2015, is mainly grey and blue in colour and features the Mangilik El triumphal arch on the front and a panorama of the capital, with the presidential palace and government buildings, on the reverse.
The commemorative version has a vertical orientation on the front, and horizonal on the reverse and was produced on Landqart’s Durasafe® composite substrate. The paper/polymer composition has enabled the inclusion of a number of unique security features among the 27 on the note. The most striking of these is the RollingStar® LEAD stripe from top/bottom on the vertical side from composite substrate rival Louisenthal, the first time a stripe has been used in this way on a note.
The stripe combines micro mirror and colour shift technology to form a series of highly eye-catching effects. It appears and disappears in three substrate windows and on the top delivers an additional fully transparent see-through element. In every window, either a dynamic effect or a three dimensional element is displayed – depicting the denomination value on a sunburst effect background, the numeral 30 and the head of state’s signature respectively, changing from gold-to-green when the note is tilted.
The design on the front follows that of the original note, namely the Kazakh Eli monument (meaning ‘Land of the Kazaksh’ and a symbol Kazakhstan’s independence and statehood), the Mangilik El arch, a fragment of traditional Basqur ribbon, the national flag and doves, along with the addition of a holographic portrait of the country’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who held office for nearly three decades, from independence until he stepped down in 2019, making him one of the world’s longest serving non-royal leaders.
The reverse, in landscape orientation, also matches the original version, depicting the panoramic view of Nur-Sutlan City (renamed from Astana in honour of the former president) and a contour line of the map of Kazakhstan. An intaglio portrait of Nursultan Nazarbayev and the logo of the 30th anniversary have been added. The latter has been applied with SPARK® Flow, changing from gold-to-green to match the colour shift in the stripe. This the first to note incorporate the latest iteration of the SPARK technology, which appears three-dimensional, but is in fact flat to the touch.
Other features include a watermark of the denomination in a half window, a see through image, blind embossing on a dove-shaped transparent window, iridescent print, and raised elements to aid the visually impaired.
The commemorative 20,000 tenge is legal tender and is circulating alongside the standard note.
Further Reading
RollingStar® LEAD
These attractive foils are based on a combination of our micromirror and ColourShift technology. They high security and are also a real eyecatcher! Choose from dynamic effects and shifting colours visible in nearly all lighting conditions.