Towards the end of 2023, the National Bank of Kazakhstan made a large announcement for the banking and numismatic community. It announced that it will be gradually introducing a brand-new banknote family over the next couple of years. This will be the 5th series of Tenge banknotes and it will be called the “Saka Style” series (2023 – 2025). Every few years Central Banks upgrade designs and security features with the latest technology to stay ahead of counterfeiters. We’ll review some of the old banknotes being phased out and will then show the new ones at the end of the blog.
An example of the current banknote family is the Kazakhstan 1,000 Tenge, 2014. It is an orange and brown colored banknote. Its obverse side is vertically oriented and features the national emblem, a SPARK feature, flying doves, and two landmarks in the Astana— the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) building and the Kazak Eli monument. Its reverse side shows the outline of Kazakhstan and the landscape of the Ustyurt Plateau. Security features include a 4-mm wide StarChrome windowed security thread with the tenge sign, bird, and 1000 printed in demetalized ink and a watermark of the mythical Samruk bird with an electrotype 1000.
Another example is the Kazakhstan 5,000 Tenge, 2011. It’s colored in shades of red and blue. The front side is vertically oriented and contains stylized snow leopards, the Kazakh national emblem, the flag of Kazakhstan, flying doves, and two landmarks in Astana: the Independence Palace and the Kazak Eli monument. The reverse side of the note is horizontally oriented and has an outline of Kazakhstan that contains images of a field of flowers, the Zailijsky Alatau ridge of the Tian Shan mountain range, the Independence Monument, and the Kazakhstan Hotel in Almaty, and a holographic stripe of apples, doves, and 5000. The note has a solid security thread, a 6-mm windowed security thread, and a Samruk bird with electrotype 5000 watermark.
Finally, the largest denomination banknote in circulation is the Kazakhstan 20,000 Tenge, 2022. It’s colored in a blue-gray and violet hue. Its obverse side is vertically oriented and features the Kazakh Eli monument, flying doves, the national flag and emblem, and the Arch of Triumph. Its reverse side shows the outline of Kazakhstan and a view of the Akorda Palace (presidential residence) as seen from the Ishim River. Security features include a windowed security thread and an electrotype 20000 watermark.
The Saka Style Banknote Family
In December 2023 the National Bank of Kazakhstan introduced the first Saka Style banknote. It was the Kazakhstan 5,000 Tenge banknote. The new designs are based on the Eurasian Saka Culture and wildlife. The new banknotes feature images of a Transcaspian Urial, Shepherd Dogs, Antelope, Golden Eagle, a Leopard, and a Wild Horse. The releases schedule for the rest of the banknotes is 10,000 Tenge in Spring 2024, 2,000 Tenge in Summer 2024, 1,000 Tenge in Autumn 2024. Finally, 20,000 and 500 Tenge in 2025. What do you think about this new banknote family?
Sources:
https://nationalbank.kz/en#
A Preview of Kazakhstan’s New Family of Banknotes
thumbnail banknotes: banknote news / Don Ludwig and Stane Straus (polymernotes.org).
