Abkhazian apsar
The apsar (Abkhaz: аԥсар, āpsār) is a currency of Abkhazia. So far, only coins in denominations of 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, and 100 apsars and banknotes in denominations of 25 and 500 apsars have been issued. While the coins are legal tender in the Republic of Abkhazia, their usage is very limited, and the coins are mostly made for collectors. In Abkhazia, the Russian ruble is used in practice. The first apsar coins were introduced in 2008.
| Аԥсар (Abkhaz) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| ISO 4217 | |||||
| Code | none | ||||
| Unit | |||||
| Plural | apsark (аԥсарк) | ||||
| Denominations | |||||
| Banknotes | 25, 500 apsark | ||||
| Coins | 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100 apsark | ||||
| Demographics | |||||
| User(s) | Abkhazia (alongside Russian ruble) | ||||
| Issuance | |||||
| Central bank | National Bank of the Republic of Abkhazia | ||||
| Website | www | ||||
| Printer | Goznak | ||||
| Mint | Moscow Mint | ||||
| Website | www | ||||
| Valuation | |||||
| Pegged with | Russian ruble = 0.1 apsar | ||||
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.