Kazakhstani tenge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kazakhstani tenge
₸5,000 note
ISO 4217 Code	KZT
User(s)	Kazakhstan
Inflation	5.0%
Source	Basic Macroeconomic Indicators on the homepage
Subunit
1⁄100	tiyn (тиын)
Symbol	₸
Plural	The language(s) of this currency does not have a morphological plural distinction.
Coins
Freq. used	₸5, ₸10, ₸20, ₸50, ₸100, ₸200
Rarely used	₸1, ₸2
Banknotes
Freq. used	₸200, ₸500, ₸1,000, ₸2,000, ₸5,000, ₸10,000,
Printer	Banknote Factory of the National Bank of Kazakhstan

The tenge (Kazakh: теңге) is the official money used in Kazakhstan. It's like the dollar in the USA or the euro in Europe. One tenge is made up of 100 smaller units called tiyn (Kazakh: тиын). The special sign for tenge is ₸.

History of the Tenge

After the Soviet Union broke apart in December 1991, many countries that used to be part of it tried to keep using the same money. They hoped to stay connected through trade. However, it was hard to agree on how to manage the money system together.

The Central Bank of Russia took over the main bank of the Soviet Union in 1992. It kept sending Soviet money to the new countries. But because there was no strong agreement on how to control money and spending, some countries started printing a lot of money. This caused problems, and Russia eventually stopped sharing its currency in July 1993.

Because of this, Kazakhstan and other countries had to create their own money. On November 12, 1993, the President of Kazakhstan announced the new national currency. The tenge was officially introduced on November 15, 1993. It replaced the old Soviet money at a rate of ₸ 1 for every 500 Soviet rubles.

A special group of designers created the first tenge banknotes. Because of this important event, November 15 is now celebrated as the "Day of National Currency" in Kazakhstan. At first, the tenge banknotes were printed in the United Kingdom, and the coins were made in Germany. Later, in 1995, Kazakhstan opened its own factory to print tenge. In 2019, a law was signed to remove Russian words from new tenge banknotes and coins.

What Does "Tenge" Mean?

The word tenge comes from the Kazakh language and other similar languages. It means a set of "scales" or a "balance." This is similar to how the names of other currencies, like the pound or the lira, also relate to weight. The Russian word for money, den'gi, also comes from this Turkic word.

The Tenge Symbol

The symbol for the Kazakhstani tenge.

For a long time, people just used the letter "Т" to show amounts in tenge. But in 2006, the National Bank of Kazakhstan held a contest to find a unique symbol for their currency. They received over 30,000 ideas!

On March 20, 2007, the National Bank chose the symbol: ₸. Two designers from Almaty, Vadim Davydenko and Sanzhar Amirkhanov, won the contest. They shared a prize and were called the "parents" of the tenge symbol. This symbol was later added to computer systems in 2009.

Coins of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan now makes its own coins at the Kazakhstan Mint in Oskemen.

First Series of Coins (1993)

In 1993, the first coins were made. These included small coins called tiyin (2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 tiyin) which were made of bronze. There were also tenge coins (₸ 1, ₸ 3, ₸ 5, ₸ 10, and ₸ 20) made from a mix of metals. The tiyin coins were stopped in 2001 and were no longer valid after 2012.

Image	Denomination	Material	Diameter	Mass	Thickness	Edge	Date of
							issue	minting	withdrawal
	2 tiyin	Brass	17.27 mm	2.26 g	1.3 mm	Smooth	1 March 1994	1993	31 December 2012
	5 tiyin
	10 tiyin		19.56 mm	3.48 g	1.6 mm
	20 tiyin		21.87 mm	4.71 g	1.7 mm
	50 tiyin		25 mm	7.43 g	2 mm
	T 1	Alloy of "nickel silver"	17.27 mm	2.26 g	1.3 mm	Smooth	25 October 1995		1 October 2001
	T 3		19.56 mm	3.48 g	1.6 mm
	T 5		21.87 mm	4.71 g	1.7 mm
	T 10		25 mm	7.43 g	2 mm
	T 20		31 mm	11.37 g		Grooved

Second Series of Coins (1998)

₸1, ₸2, ₸5, ₸10, ₸20, ₸50 and ₸100 coins of the second series.

In 1998, new coins were introduced. The ₸1 coin became the smallest value. In 2002, a ₸100 coin was added, replacing the ₸100 banknote. A ₸2 coin was introduced in 2005. The materials used for some coins were changed in 2013.

Second series coins of the Kazakh tenge (1997–2018)
Image	Value	Technical parameters				Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Thickness	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	minting	issue	withdrawal	lapse
	₸1	15 mm	1.63 g	1.3 mm	Alloy of "nickel silver", yellow color (since 2013 - carbon steel, galvanic coating yellow metal)	Plain	Value	Year, Emblem of Kazakhstan	1997~2018	11 November 1998	Current
	₸2	16 mm	1.84 g	1.3 mm					2005,2006	23 February 2005
	₸5	17.27 mm	2.18 g	1.3 mm					1997~2018	11 November 1998
	₸10	19.56 mm	2.81 g	1.3 mm
	₸20	18.27 mm	2.9 g	1.6 mm	Alloy of "nickel silver", white color (since 2013 - carbon steel and galvanic nickel)	Grooved	Value	Year, Emblem of Kazakhstan	1997~2018	11 November 1998	Current
	₸50	23 mm	4.7 g	1.6 mm
	₸100	24.5 mm	6.65 g	1.95 mm	Inner disk: alloy of "nickel silver", white color Outer disk: alloy of "nibrass", yellow color.	Grooved with the note - «СТО ТЕНГЕ - ЖYЗ ТЕҢГЕ» (one hundred tenge)			2002~2007	1 July 2002
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

Third Series of Coins (2019)

In 2019, a new series of coins was released. These coins have the same sizes and metals as the second series. The big change is that the words on the coins are now written in the Latin-based Kazakh alphabet, instead of the Cyrillic alphabet.

This change was part of a plan by former President Nursultan Nazarbayev to switch from Cyrillic to Latin script. It also helps to highlight Kazakh culture and reduce Russian influence. The new designs were approved in March 2019. Older coins with Cyrillic writing are still valid.

In 2019, the National Bank also announced new ₸200 coins, which came out in 2020. These coins also have Latin-based Kazakh writing and are made of two different metals, like the ₸100 coin.

Third series coins of the Kazakh tenge (2019–present)
Image	Value	Technical parameters				Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Thickness	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	minting	issue	withdrawal	lapse
	₸1	15 mm	1.63 g	1.3 mm	Carbon steel, galvanic coating yellow metal	Plain	Value	Year, Emblem of Kazakhstan	2019~present	26 April 2019	Current
	₸2	16 mm	1.84 g	1.3 mm
	₸5	17.27 mm	2.18 g	1.3 mm
	₸10	19.56 mm	2.81 g	1.3 mm
	₸20	18.27 mm	2.9 g	1.6 mm	Carbon steel and galvanic nickel	Grooved	Value	Year, Emblem of Kazakhstan	2019~present	26 April 2019	Current
	₸50	23 mm	4.7 g	1.6 mm
	₸100	24.5 mm	6.65 g	1.95 mm	Inner disk: alloy of "nickel silver", white color Outer disk: alloy of "nibrass", yellow color.	Grooved with the note - «JÚZ TEŃGE» (one hundred tenge)
	₸200	26 mm	7.5 g	1.9 mm	Aluminium-brass center in copper-nickel ring	Sixteen indentations ('Spanish flower') with alterned plain and reeded sections			2020~present	28 January 2020
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

Special Commemorative Coins

Kazakhstan also makes special Commemorative coins to celebrate events or people. These coins come in values like ₸20, ₸50, ₸100, ₸500, ₸1,000, ₸2,500, ₸5,000, and ₸10,000. Some are made of silver and gold. Many of the ₸20 and ₸50 commemorative coins are also made of a copper-nickel mix and sometimes end up being used as regular money.

Tenge Banknotes

200 tenge (old design)

1993 Series of Banknotes

On November 15, 1993, the National Bank of Kazakhstan released the first banknotes. These included tiyn notes (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 tiyn) and tenge notes (₸ 1, ₸ 3, ₸ 5, ₸ 10, ₸ 20, and ₸ 50). Soon after, ₸ 100 notes were added. In 1994, ₸ 200, ₸ 500, and ₸ 1,000 notes came out. Larger notes like ₸ 2,000 (1996), ₸ 5,000 (1999), and ₸ 10,000 (2003) were introduced later.

The banknotes that were used for a long time had pictures of important Kazakh figures:

• ₸200 - Al-Farabi
• ₸500 - Al-Farabi and a part of the Khodzha Akhmet Yassaui mausoleum
• ₸1,000 - Al-Farabi
• ₸2,000 - Al-Farabi
• ₸5,000 - Al-Farabi
• ₸10,000 - Al-Farabi and a snow leopard.

1993 Series
Image		Value	Main Colour		Description		Date
Obverse	Reverse		Obverse	Reverse	Obverse	Reverse	issue	annul
		1 tiyn	green	green	value in numeral and Kazakh, unique geometric design background	value in numeral and Kazakh, Kazakhstan coat of arms, unique geometric design background	1993	2001
		2 tiyn	light blue	light blue
		5 tiyn	pink	pink
		10 tiyn	red	red
		20 tiyn	blue, grey	blue
		50 tiyn	brown, yellow	brown
		T 1	blue	light blue	Portrait of Al-Farabi	Geometrical constructions and formulations of Al-Farabi		2012–2018
		T 3	green	bluish green	Portrait of Suinbai Aronuly	Alatau landscape
		T 5	brown	yellow, orange	Portrait of Kurmangazy	Kurmangazy mausoleum
		T 10	green	light green	Portrait of Chokan Ualihanov	Ok Zhetpes mountain
		T 20	brown	light brown	Portrait of Abay Kunanbaev	Illustration of golden eagle with the man, drawn from works of Abay Kunanbaev
		T 50	reddish	light red	Portrait of Abulhair Khan	Rock paintings of Mangistau
		T 100	violet	pink	Portrait of Ablay Khan	Hodja Ahmed Yassavi mausoleum
		T 200	brown, red	yellow, blue	Portrait of Al-Farabi	Hodja Ahmed Yassavi mausoleum	1994
		T 500	dark blue, blue	blue, violet	Portrait of Al-Farabi	Hodja Ahmed Yassavi mausoleum
		T 1,000	green, red	green, blue, red	Portrait of Al-Farabi	Hodja Ahmed Yassavi mausoleum
		T 2,000	green, blue	green, brown	Portrait of Al-Farabi	Hodja Ahmed Yassavi mausoleum	1996
		T 5,000	brown, violet	brown	Portrait of Al-Farabi	Hodja Ahmed Yassavi mausoleum	1998
		T 10,000	blue	blue, brown	Portrait of Al-Farabi	Snow leopard against a background of mountains	2003

2006 Series of Banknotes

Some ₸2,000 notes spelled the word банкі (bank) incorrectly as банқі.

In 2006, the National Bank of Kazakhstan released a new series of tenge banknotes. These new notes simply replaced the old ones with the same value.

The 2006 series looks very unique. The front of the notes is vertical. The value is written in the Kazakh language. All notes show the Bayterek monument, the flag of Kazakhstan, the Coat of arms, and a handprint with the signature of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. They also have parts of the national anthem. The main differences between the notes are their colors and values.

The back of the notes is different for each value. The value is written in Russian. Each note shows a unique building and a famous place in Kazakhstan, shaped like the country's borders.

Some of the first ₸2,000 and ₸5,000 notes printed in 2006 had a spelling mistake. The word for "bank" was spelled incorrectly. This was a big deal because the Kazakh language is very important to the country's culture.

On October 3, 2016, the ₸2,000, ₸5,000, and ₸10,000 banknotes from the 2006 series were no longer valid for spending. People could exchange them at banks for a year after that date.

2006 Series
Image		Value	Main Colour	Description		Date of issue
Obverse	Reverse			Obverse	Reverse
		₸200	orange	Astana Bayterek monument, Kazakhstan flag, Kazakhstan coat of arms, handprint with a signature of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, fragments of the national anthem, value in numerals and Kazakh words, issuing bank in Kazakh, inscription in Kazakh stating that counterfeiting banknotes is against the law	Transport and Communication Ministry and a winged snow leopard on the bridge over River Ishim, outline map of Kazakhstan with Ministry of Defense and the steppes in the background, value in Russian, name of issuing in Kazakh, logo of issuing bank, inscription in Russian stating that counterfeiting banknotes is against the law	2006–2016
		₸500	blue		Ministry of Finance and Akimat (City Hall) of Astana, outline map of Kazakhstan with gulls over the sea in background, value in Russian, name of issuing in Kazakh, logo of issuing bank, inscription in Russian stating that counterfeiting banknotes is against the law
		₸1,000	brown		President Culture Center, outline map of Kazakhstan with mountains in background, value in Russian, name of issuing in Kazakh, logo of issuing bank, inscription in Russian stating that counterfeiting banknotes is against the law
		₸2,000	green		Abai Opera House, outline map of Kazakhstan with mountain lake in background, value in Russian, name of issuing in Kazakh, logo of issuing bank, inscription in Russian stating that counterfeiting banknotes is against the law
		₸5,000	red		Independence Monument and the Kazakhstan Hotel, outline map of Kazakhstan with mountains in background, value in Russian, name of issuing in Kazakh, logo of issuing bank, inscription in Russian stating that counterfeiting banknotes is against the law
		₸10,000	purple		Residence Akorda (presidential palace), outline map of Kazakhstan with canyons in the background, value in Russian, name of issuing in Kazakh, logo of issuing bank, inscription in Russian stating that counterfeiting banknotes is against the law

2011–2017 Series of Banknotes

The National Bank of Kazakhstan released another new series of tenge banknotes between 2011 and 2017. These notes came in values of ₸1,000, ₸2,000, ₸5,000, and ₸10,000. The front of these notes features the "Kazakh Eli" monument.

On December 1, 2015, a new ₸20,000 banknote was introduced. It was a special note to celebrate 20 years since the national currency was introduced. In 2017, a ₸500 banknote was added to this series. However, it caused some discussion because of an image of a gull and the "Moscow" business center on the back.

Future Banknotes: 2023-2025 Series

The National Bank of Kazakhstan has announced new banknotes called "Saka" that will be released between 2023 and 2025. These notes will be smaller and have many new security features. Older banknotes will slowly be taken out of use, but you will be able to exchange them at banks for up to three years.

Special Commemorative Banknotes

Kazakhstan has also issued special commemorative banknotes to celebrate important events. These often have unique designs.

• ₸5,000 (2001)

• 

  This 5,000 tenge banknote was made in 2001 to celebrate ten years of Kazakhstan's independence from the Soviet Union (front).

• 

  This 5,000 tenge banknote was made in 2001 to celebrate ten years of Kazakhstan's independence from the Soviet Union (back).

• ₸5,000 (2008)

• 

  This 5,000 tenge banknote was made in 2008 to celebrate 15 years of the Kazakhstani tenge (front).

• 

  This 5,000 tenge banknote was made in 2008 to celebrate 15 years of the Kazakhstani tenge (back).

• ₸1,000 (2010)

• 

  This 1,000 tenge banknote was made in 2010 to celebrate Kazakhstan leading the OSCE (front).

• 

  This 1,000 tenge banknote was made in 2010 to celebrate Kazakhstan leading the OSCE (back).

• ₸1,000 (2011)

• 

  This 1,000 tenge banknote was made in 2011 to celebrate Kazakhstan leading the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (front).

• 

  This 1,000 tenge banknote was made in 2011 to celebrate Kazakhstan leading the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (back).

• ₸2,000 (2011)

• 

  This 2,000 tenge banknote was made in 2011 to celebrate the seventh Asian Winter Games held in Astana (front).

• 

  This 2,000 tenge banknote was made in 2011 to celebrate the seventh Asian Winter Games held in Astana (back).

• ₸10,000 (2011)

• 

  This 10,000 tenge banknote was made in 2011 to celebrate 20 years of independence from the Soviet Union (front).

• 

  This 10,000 tenge banknote was made in 2011 to celebrate 20 years of independence from the Soviet Union (back).

• ₸1,000 (2013)

This 1,000 tenge banknote was made in 2013 to honor the "Kul Tigin" monument, which has ancient Turkic writing.

• ₸10,000 (2016)

The National Bank of Kazakhstan released a 10,000 tenge banknote in 2016. It celebrated 25 years of independence from the Soviet Union. This special note features an image of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

• ₸20,000 (2021)

In 2021, a 20,000 tenge banknote was issued to celebrate 30 years of independence from the Soviet Union. This note shows images of the first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Akorda Presidential Palace, and the capital city of Astana. It was also the first special note to use the Latin-based Kazakh alphabet.

Exchange Rates and Inflation

On September 2, 2013, the National Bank of Kazakhstan decided to link the tenge's value to the US dollar and the Russian ruble. This means its value would change based on those currencies.

However, on February 11, 2014, the tenge lost 19% of its value against the US dollar. This happened because the Russian ruble was getting weaker.

Then, on August 20, 2015, Kazakhstan's National Bank decided to let the tenge's value float freely. This means its value is now decided by how much people want to buy or sell it in the market. Because of this change, the tenge lost 30% of its value in just one day.

Digital Tenge

The National Bank of Kazakhstan is also working on creating a digital version of their national currency. This would be like a digital form of the tenge that could be used for online payments.

Images for kids

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  New symbol of tenge (₸) used on info-board of a currency exchange office in Almaty