{"title":"Nagorno-Karabakh Banknotes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNagorno-Karabakh banknotes\u003c\/strong\u003e are among the rarest and most historically charged collectibles in the world of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Banknote\" target=\"_blank\"\u003epaper money\u003c\/a\u003e. Issued by the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Republic_of_Artsakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRepublic of Artsakh\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e (also known as the \u003cstrong\u003eNagorno-Karabakh Republic\u003c\/strong\u003e), these notes circulated in a landlocked enclave nestled in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Caucasus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Caucasus\u003c\/a\u003e — a territory internationally recognized as part of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Azerbaijan\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAzerbaijan\u003c\/a\u003e but governed for three decades by ethnic \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Armenians\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArmenians\u003c\/a\u003e following the brutal \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/First_Nagorno-Karabakh_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFirst Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988–1994)\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe republic's banknotes were never widely distributed and were produced in extremely limited quantities, making surviving examples genuinely scarce. The notes were designed and printed with the assistance of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Armenia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArmenia\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, which provided critical financial, logistical, and political support to the breakaway state throughout its existence. Armenian expertise shaped both the aesthetic and technical production of the currency, and the notes reflect strong cultural ties to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Armenian_culture\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArmenian heritage\u003c\/a\u003e — featuring \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Armenian_alphabet\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArmenian script\u003c\/a\u003e, national symbols, and imagery drawn from the region's ancient \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Armenian_Apostolic_Church\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eChristian monasteries\u003c\/a\u003e and landscapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Republic of Artsakh ceased to exist in \u003cstrong\u003eSeptember 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e, when Azerbaijan launched the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2023_Azerbaijani_offensive_in_Nagorno-Karabakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e2023 Azerbaijani offensive\u003c\/a\u003e that ended the enclave's self-governance after 35 years. The remaining Armenian population — nearly 100,000 people — fled to Armenia in what is widely described as an \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nagorno-Karabakh_exodus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eethnic exodus\u003c\/a\u003e. The republic was formally dissolved on January 1, 2024.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese banknotes are now \u003cstrong\u003ehistorical artifacts of a vanished state\u003c\/strong\u003e — currency from a country that no longer exists, issued by a government that has been dissolved, in a territory now emptied of the people who once called it home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Man Behind the Notes: David Laties \u0026amp; Educational Coin Company\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of these notes exist because of one remarkable figure in the numismatic world: \u003cstrong\u003eDavid Laties\u003c\/strong\u003e, owner of the \u003cstrong\u003eEducational Coin Company\u003c\/strong\u003e, based in \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Highland,_New_York\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHighland, New York\u003c\/a\u003e. Laties took ownership of the company in 1960 and transformed it into one of the most prolific sources of world banknotes for collectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor territories like Nagorno-Karabakh — places that lacked the political standing or infrastructure to produce currency through traditional channels — Laties acted as an unofficial bridge to sovereignty. Working with professional \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Banknote_printing\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ebanknote printers\u003c\/a\u003e, he designed and produced high-quality notes that looked and felt like legal tender, using them to document and promote the history and identity of these regions. Unlike cheap \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fantasy_banknote\" target=\"_blank\"\u003efantasy notes\u003c\/a\u003e, Educational Coin Co. productions often incorporated genuine security features — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Watermark\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ewatermarked paper\u003c\/a\u003e, intricate \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guilloch%C3%A9\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eguilloché patterns\u003c\/a\u003e, and fine intaglio printing — making them indistinguishable from official government issues to the untrained eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLaties recognized a collector demand for the \u003cem\u003emissing pieces\u003c\/em\u003e of world monetary history and provided the capital and design direction to fill those gaps — typically in small runs, which is precisely why these notes are now prized for their scarcity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy Collect Nagorno-Karabakh Banknotes?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIssued by one of only five recent \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/De_facto\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ede facto states\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e with limited \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_recognition_of_Artsakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003einternational recognition\u003c\/a\u003e that issued banknotes (the others are Abkhazia, Somaliland, South Ossetia, and Transnistria)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced with the involvement of \u003cstrong\u003eDavid Laties\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eEducational Coin Company\u003c\/strong\u003e — the gold standard in private world banknote issues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExtremely \u003cstrong\u003elow print runs\u003c\/strong\u003e — far scarcer than most 20th-century issues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflect \u003cstrong\u003eArmenian cultural and artistic heritage\u003c\/strong\u003e in a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nagorno-Karabakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003econtested landscape\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow \u003cstrong\u003epermanently out of production\u003c\/strong\u003e — the issuing authority no longer exists\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA compelling piece of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Post-Soviet_states\" target=\"_blank\"\u003epost-Soviet geopolitical history\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"nagorno-karabakh-p-2-drams-light-red","title":"JESUS CHRIST Nagorno-Karabakh Artsakh 2 Dram 2004 UNC—Armenia Azerbaijan War 61629","description":"\u003cp\u003eNagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh, ethnic Armenian Republic breakaway from Azerbaijan 1991–2024) P-901 2 Drams 2004, Uncirculated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBanknote Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFront:\u003c\/strong\u003e National Coat of Arms of Nagorno-Karabakh; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gandzasar\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGandzasar Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist\u003c\/a\u003e (Madakert district); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gregory_the_Illuminator\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSaint Gregory the Illuminator\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBack:\u003c\/strong\u003e National Coat of Arms of Nagorno-Karabakh; bas-relief Christian cross; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Baptism_of_Jesus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJohn the Baptist baptizing Jesus Christ\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Repeating text \"SECURITY PRINT BY OSD\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spartak Tevosian (ST) — Minister of Finance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing institution:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ministry of Finance, Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nagorno-Karabakh_dram\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArtsakh Dram\u003c\/a\u003e (2003–2023; demonetized 1 January 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 Dram\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 150 × 80 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eYes\u003c\/a\u003e — 1 January 2024\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C3%96sterreichische_Banknoten-_und_Sicherheitsdruck_GmbH\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eÖsterreichische Banknoten- und Sicherheitsdruck GmbH\u003c\/a\u003e, Vienna, Austria (1816–present)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Baptism of Jesus: What the Reverse Depicts\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe scene on the reverse — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_the_Baptist\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJohn the Baptist\u003c\/a\u003e baptizing \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jesus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJesus Christ\u003c\/a\u003e in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jordan_River\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJordan River\u003c\/a\u003e — is one of the most theologically charged moments in the Christian Gospels, and one of the few events recorded in all four of them. In the accounts of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gospel_of_Matthew\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMatthew\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gospel_of_Mark\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMark\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gospel_of_Luke\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLuke\u003c\/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gospel_of_John\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJohn\u003c\/a\u003e, Jesus comes to the Jordan where John has been baptizing crowds in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. John initially resists — \"I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?\" — but Jesus insists. As he emerges from the water, the heavens open, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Holy_Spirit\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHoly Spirit\u003c\/a\u003e descends in the form of a dove, and a voice declares: \u003cem\u003e\"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Armenian_Apostolic_Church\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArmenian Apostolic Church\u003c\/a\u003e — one of the oldest Christian churches in the world, tracing its founding to the apostles \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thaddeus_of_Edessa\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThaddeus\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bartholomew_the_Apostle\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBartholomew\u003c\/a\u003e in the 1st century AD — the Baptism of Jesus holds particular liturgical weight. \u003cb\u003eArmenia celebrates the Nativity and Baptism of Christ together on 6 January\u003c\/b\u003e (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Theophany\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTheophany\u003c\/a\u003e), unlike Western churches which separate Christmas and Epiphany. The feast is called \u003cem\u003eAstvatsahaytnoutyoun\u003c\/em\u003e — the Manifestation of God. Placing the Baptism scene on the reverse of a banknote issued by a self-declared Armenian Christian republic was not incidental: it was a declaration of identity as much as a religious image, asserting that Artsakh's claim to the land was rooted in a Christian civilisation predating Islam, Azerbaijan, and the Soviet Union alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eNagorno-Karabakh: A Disputed Land\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nagorno-Karabakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNagorno-Karabakh\u003c\/a\u003e — also known as \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Republic_of_Artsakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArtsakh\u003c\/a\u003e — was a landlocked, mountainous enclave situated within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, but governed for decades by an ethnic Armenian administration following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The region had been an autonomous oblast within Soviet Azerbaijan; when the USSR dissolved in 1991, a war erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan over its status. A ceasefire in 1994 left the enclave and surrounding territories under Armenian control, but no internationally recognized state ever acknowledged its independence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe self-declared Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (later renamed the Republic of Artsakh) maintained its own government, currency, and institutions for over three decades. The \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nagorno-Karabakh_conflict\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNagorno-Karabakh conflict\u003c\/a\u003e flared repeatedly — in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/First_Nagorno-Karabakh_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFirst War (1988–1994)\u003c\/a\u003e, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2016_Nagorno-Karabakh_war\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFour-Day War (2016)\u003c\/a\u003e, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2020_Nagorno-Karabakh_war\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e44-Day War (2020)\u003c\/a\u003e, and finally the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2023_Azerbaijani_offensive_in_Nagorno-Karabakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSeptember 2023 offensive\u003c\/a\u003e, in which Azerbaijan restored full sovereignty in under 24 hours. The Armenian population, which had constituted the overwhelming majority of the enclave's residents, fled to Armenia within weeks. On 1 January 2024, the Republic of Artsakh was formally dissolved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow These Banknotes Came to Be\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Artsakh dram series was an unusual chapter in numismatic history. The notes were not produced to meet the demands of everyday commerce — they were conceived as a deliberate act of nation-building through philately and numismatics. The \u003cstrong\u003eEducational Coin Company\u003c\/strong\u003e, a numismatic wholesale firm based in Highland, New York, worked in conjunction with the government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to commission the series. The printing contract was awarded to the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C3%96sterreichische_Banknoten-_und_Sicherheitsdruck_GmbH\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOesterreichische Banknoten- und Sicherheitsdruck GmbH\u003c\/a\u003e in Vienna — one of Europe's most prestigious security printers, with a history dating to 1816.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe notes were issued in 2004 under the authority of the Ministry of Finance, signed by Finance Minister Spartak Tevosian. They were denominated in the Artsakh dram, pegged at parity with the Armenian dram, and declared legal tender — but their primary purpose was always collector distribution and international visibility. The entire dram currency was demonetized on \u003cstrong\u003e1 January 2024\u003c\/strong\u003e, following the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh. These notes now stand as artifacts of a state that no longer exists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eGandzasar Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gandzasar\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGandzasar\u003c\/a\u003e is a medieval Armenian monastery complex in the Madakert district, completed in 1216–1240 under the patronage of the Armenian prince \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hasan-Jalal_Dawla\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHasan-Jalal Dawla\u003c\/a\u003e. Its Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist is considered one of the finest examples of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Armenian_architecture\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArmenian ecclesiastical architecture\u003c\/a\u003e, renowned for its intricately carved drum and dome and its elaborate \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Khachkar\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ekhachkar\u003c\/a\u003e (cross-stone) reliefs. The monastery served for centuries as the seat of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Catholicos_of_Caucasian_Albania\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCatholicos of Caucasian Albania\u003c\/a\u003e and remained a living religious site through the Soviet period and the years of Artsakh self-rule. Its appearance on this banknote was a pointed assertion of Armenian Christian heritage in the region — a claim rendered in stone and ink at a moment when the political future of the land remained violently contested.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Final Reflection: Currency of a Vanished State\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is something quietly extraordinary about a banknote issued by a country the world refused to recognize. The Artsakh 2 Dram note was printed in Vienna, distributed through a New York coin dealer, and declared legal tender in a republic that existed in a kind of international limbo — real to the people who lived there, invisible to the governments that drew the maps. It carried the symbols of a civilization — the cathedral, the cross, the coat of arms, the Baptism — and asked the world to look.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe world, in the end, looked away. But the note remains. It is now a primary document of a state that lasted thirty-three years and then was gone — a small rectangle of paper that outlasted the republic it was meant to represent. For the collector, it is irreplaceable: there will be no more Artsakh dram issues, no reprint, no successor series. What exists is what exists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn essential acquisition for numismatists specializing in disputed territories, post-Soviet transitional issues, or the broader Caucasus region. With the Republic of Artsakh dissolved as of 1 January 2024, the entire dram series has passed permanently into history, making Uncirculated examples increasingly difficult to source.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51592077771063,"sku":"NK901U","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/Screenshot_2026-04-11_at_11.36.08.png?v=1775921850"},{"product_id":"jesus-christ-nagorno-karabakh-artsakh-p-2-10-dram-2004-unc-armenia-azerbaijan-war","title":"JESUS CHRIST Nagorno-Karabakh Artsakh P-902 10 Dram 2004 UNC—Armenia Azerbaijan War 71128","description":"\u003cp\u003eNagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh, ethnic Armenian Republic breakaway from Azerbaijan 1991–2024) P-902 10 Dram 2004, Uncirculated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBanknote Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFront:\u003c\/strong\u003e National \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coat_of_arms_of_the_Republic_of_Artsakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoat of Arms of Nagorno-Karabakh\u003c\/a\u003e; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jesus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJesus Christ\u003c\/a\u003e holding the Gospels and raising hand in benediction; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dadivank\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDadivank monastery\u003c\/a\u003e, Shahumian district\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBack:\u003c\/strong\u003e National Coat of Arms of Nagorno-Karabakh; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Khudafarin_bridges\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eancient Hudaferin bridge\u003c\/a\u003e; wine barrel with bunch of grapes; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Karabakh_carpet\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKarabakh carpet\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Repeating text \"SECURITY PRINT BY OSD\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spartak Tevosian (ST) — Minister of Finance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing institution:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ministry of Finance, Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nagorno-Karabakh_dram\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArtsakh Dram\u003c\/a\u003e (2003–2023; demonetized 1 January 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10 Dram\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 165 × 90 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eYes\u003c\/a\u003e — 1 January 2024\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C3%96sterreichische_Banknoten-_und_Sicherheitsdruck_GmbH\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eÖsterreichische Banknoten- und Sicherheitsdruck GmbH\u003c\/a\u003e, Vienna, Austria (1816–present)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReferences:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-902; TBB B102\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eJesus Christ on a Banknote\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe obverse of the P-902 is one of the most unusual images in modern banknote design: a frontal depiction of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jesus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJesus Christ\u003c\/a\u003e in the Byzantine \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pantocrator\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePantocrator\u003c\/a\u003e tradition — holding the Gospels in his left hand and raising his right in the gesture of benediction. \u003cb\u003eNo other circulating banknote in the world bears the image of Jesus Christ.\u003c\/b\u003e The choice was deliberate and politically charged: Artsakh was asserting itself as a Christian republic in a Muslim-majority region, rooting its claim to the land in a religious and civilisational identity predating Islam, the Ottoman Empire, and the Soviet Union alike. The image is not decorative — it is a declaration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Armenian_Apostolic_Church\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArmenian Apostolic Church\u003c\/a\u003e — one of the oldest Christian churches in the world, tracing its founding to the apostles \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thaddeus_of_Edessa\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThaddeus\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bartholomew_the_Apostle\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBartholomew\u003c\/a\u003e in the 1st century AD, and the state church of Armenia since 301 AD — the image of Christ in benediction carries the full weight of fifteen centuries of national identity. Armenia was the \u003cb\u003efirst nation in the world to adopt Christianity as its state religion\u003c\/b\u003e, under \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tiridates_III_of_Armenia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKing Tiridates III\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gregory_the_Illuminator\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSaint Gregory the Illuminator\u003c\/a\u003e. Placing Christ on the currency of Artsakh was an act of memory as much as faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eDadivank: The Monastery on the Front\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dadivank\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDadivank\u003c\/a\u003e is a medieval Armenian monastery in the Shahumian (Kalbajar) district, one of the most significant monastic complexes in the South Caucasus. Founded according to tradition in the 1st century AD at the site of the martyrdom of the apostle \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thaddeus_of_Edessa\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDadi\u003c\/a\u003e, the current structures date primarily from the 9th–13th centuries. Its cathedral, gavit (narthex), and bell tower are among the finest surviving examples of Armenian medieval architecture. \u003cb\u003eDadivank became a flashpoint in the 2020 war\u003c\/b\u003e: as Azerbaijani forces advanced, Russian peacekeepers were deployed specifically to protect it. It now sits in Azerbaijani-controlled territory, its future as an Armenian religious site uncertain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Reverse: Bridge, Wine, and Carpet\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse assembles three symbols of Karabakh's cultural and economic identity. The \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Khudafarin_bridges\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHudaferin bridges\u003c\/a\u003e — twin medieval stone arch bridges spanning the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aras_River\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAras River\u003c\/a\u003e on the Armenian-Iranian border — are among the oldest surviving bridges in the South Caucasus, dating to the 11th–12th centuries. The wine barrel and grapes reference Karabakh's ancient winemaking tradition — the region sits at the edge of one of the world's oldest wine-producing areas, and Armenian winemaking dates back over 6,000 years to the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Areni-1_winery\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAreni cave complex\u003c\/a\u003e. The \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Karabakh_carpet\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKarabakh carpet\u003c\/a\u003e represents one of the most celebrated traditions in Armenian and Azerbaijani craft — both sides claim it as their own, making its appearance on an Artsakh banknote another quiet act of cultural assertion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eNagorno-Karabakh: A Disputed Land\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nagorno-Karabakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNagorno-Karabakh\u003c\/a\u003e — also known as \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Republic_of_Artsakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArtsakh\u003c\/a\u003e — was a landlocked, mountainous enclave within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, governed for decades by an ethnic Armenian administration following the Soviet collapse. The \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nagorno-Karabakh_conflict\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNagorno-Karabakh conflict\u003c\/a\u003e flared repeatedly — in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/First_Nagorno-Karabakh_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFirst War (1988–1994)\u003c\/a\u003e, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2016_Nagorno-Karabakh_war\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFour-Day War (2016)\u003c\/a\u003e, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2020_Nagorno-Karabakh_war\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e44-Day War (2020)\u003c\/a\u003e, and finally the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2023_Azerbaijani_offensive_in_Nagorno-Karabakh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSeptember 2023 offensive\u003c\/a\u003e, in which Azerbaijan restored full sovereignty in under 24 hours. The entire ethnic Armenian population fled to Armenia within weeks. On 1 January 2024, the Republic of Artsakh was formally dissolved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHow These Banknotes Came to Be\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Artsakh dram series was conceived as a deliberate act of nation-building through numismatics. The \u003cstrong\u003eEducational Coin Company\u003c\/strong\u003e, a numismatic wholesale firm based in Highland, New York, worked with the Nagorno-Karabakh government to commission the series, printed by the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C3%96sterreichische_Banknoten-_und_Sicherheitsdruck_GmbH\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOesterreichische Banknoten- und Sicherheitsdruck GmbH\u003c\/a\u003e in Vienna — one of Europe's most prestigious security printers. Issued in 2004 and signed by Finance Minister Spartak Tevosian, the notes were legal tender but produced primarily for collector distribution and international visibility. The entire series was demonetized on \u003cstrong\u003e1 January 2024\u003c\/strong\u003e following the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCurrency of a Vanished State\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Artsakh 10 Dram note carried more symbolism per square centimetre than almost any banknote in modern history: Christ in benediction, a medieval monastery, an ancient bridge, a wine tradition six millennia old, and a carpet both sides claim as their own. It was printed in Vienna, sold through a New York coin dealer, and declared legal tender in a republic the world refused to recognize. \u003cb\u003eIt asked the world to look.\u003c\/b\u003e The world, in the end, looked away. But the note remains — a primary document of a state that lasted thirty-three years and then was gone. There will be no more Artsakh dram issues. What exists is what exists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn essential acquisition for collectors of disputed territories, post-Soviet transitional issues, Christian iconography on currency, or the broader Caucasus region. Condition: UNC.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51948847399223,"sku":"NAKA902U","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/902-zoom-jesus.png?v=1775927991"}],"url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/collections\/nagorno-karabakh-banknotes.oembed","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}