Kyrgyzstani som KGS

The Kyrgyz som is the official currency of Kyrgyzstan. One som is divided into 100 tyin. Banknotes are issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 5000 som. Coins are available in 1, 3, 5, and 10 som, as well as 1, 10, and 50 tyin denominations.

History of the Kyrgyz Som

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly independent countries introduced their own currencies, but Russian rubles continued to circulate in Kyrgyzstan. In 1993, the som became the official currency of Kyrgyzstan, replacing the ruble at an exchange rate of 1 som to 200 rubles.

Interesting Facts about the Kyrgyz Som

The official name and symbol of the som were established only in 2017 when the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan approved the underlined letter "C" as the official currency symbol. The word "som" translates to "pure gold" in Uzbek.