The apsar (Abkhaz: аԥсар, āpsār; symbol:) is a currency of Abkhazia. So far, coins in denominations of 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, and 100 apsars and banknotes in denominations of 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 apsars have been issued. While the coins and banknotes are legal tender in the Republic of Abkhazia, their usage is limited, and they are mostly made for collectors. In Abkhazia, the Russian ruble is used in practice. The first apsar coins were introduced in 2008.
The name derives from the Apsars, a tribe mentioned in The Georgian Chronicles who inhabited the region in the Middle Ages and who are believed to be the ancestors of the Abkhaz people.
The Bank of Abkhazia is responsible for the apsar coins, and has so far issued two series: "Outstanding personalities of Abkhazia" (6 coins) and "The patriotic war of the Abkhaz nation 1992–1993" (2 coins). People who have appeared on coins include:
Vladislav Ardzinba, 1st president of Abkhazia (1994–2005)
Fazil Iskander, writer
Dmitry Gulia, writer
Samson Chanba, writer and statesman
Bagrat Shinkuba, writer and politician
Aleksandr Chachba, artist
10 and 100 apsar coins are made of silver; 25 and 50 apsar coins are made of gold. The number of coins produced is low: 2,000 silver coins are minted and 1,000 gold coins.
Fetching the article from Wikipedia…
Text from the Wikipedia article “Abkhazian apsar”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.