Description
The som is the official currency of Kyrgyzstan since 1993 when it replaced the Soviet ruble. The word som means “pure” in Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uyghur, Uzbek, and many other Turkic languages. The official currency symbol: С̲. Until 2008, the Kazakhstan mint introduced the first coins in denominations of 10 and 50 tiyin and 1, 3, and 5 som, followed by a 10 som coin in 2009.
The 3 Kyrgyzstani som coin front design features the National Emblem (consists of a circle containing a representation of the bird “Ak Shumkar” (a white falcon that Manas left Semetei ‘as an inheritance) with open wings, on a background illustrating Lake Issyk-Kul and the snow-capped peaks of the Ala Mountains. -Too (Tian Peaks Shan), and a sun with forty rays (refer to the legendary forty clans of Manas) golden shining on the mountains. A ribbon surrounds the main figure with the words “Кыргыз” (Kyrgyz) at the top and “Республикасы” (Republic) at the bottom; on the sides of the frame, there is a decoration consisting of motifs from the ornament, open cotton bolls, and ears of wheat) and the issued date. The reverse of the coin presents the denomination next to a “kookor” (traditional leather container used by the Kyrgyz culture to drink kymyz, the traditional drink), which contains a symbol of “tumar” (a symbol used in Kyrgyz crafts) represented by a triangle. The lettering in the coin is presented in the Kyrgyz language. This coin is part of the 2008 series, its rim is fluted, and its color is silver.
Text: Kyrgyz Republic, 2008, 3 Som.