2019-01-03 Thu

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located within South Asia. Its territory covers 652,000 square kilometers and much of it is covered by the Hindu Kush mountain range, which experiences very cold winters. The north consists of fertile plains, whilst the south-west consists of deserts where temperatures can get very hot in summers. Kabul serves as the capital and its largest city.

Agricultural production is the backbone of Afghanistan's economy. Despite having $1 trillion or more in mineral deposits, it remains as one of the least developed countries. The “Afghani” is the currency of Afghanistan, issued by the central bank Da Afghanistan Bank. It is nominally subdivided into 100 pul, although there are no pul coins currently in circulation.

The Bank of Afghanistan (Da Afghanistan Bank) is issuing paper money since 1939, issuing notes for 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 afghanis. The 2 and 5 Afghani notes were replaced by coins in 1958. In 1993, 5000 and 10,000 Afghani notes were introduced. Today we are discussing a 50 Afghani banknote of 1346 (1967 AD). The note specifications are as follows:

The obverse depicts the last King of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah (1914 - 2007), in military uniform to the left and the official Coat of Arms in center-bottom. The reverse portrays Arg-e-Shahi - Citadel of the King, built in late XIX century by Amir (King) Abdul Rahman Khan. The Arg presently consists of Gul Khana which serves as the offices for President Hamid Karzai and the President's Protocol Office; The Offices of the President's Chief of Staff; The National Security Advisor's building; and The Offices of the Spokesperson for the President. This predominantly green note has the effigy of Mohammed Zahir Shah as the watermark.

Image Courtesy: issoire-philatelie.com