Tajikistani somoni facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tajikistani somoni
SM 5 obverse and reverse.
ISO 4217 Code	TJS
User(s)	Tajikistan
Inflation	3.8%
Source	National Bank of Tajikistan, December 2023
Subunit
1⁄100	diram
Symbol	SM
Coins
Freq. used	10, 20, 50 dirams, SM 1, SM 3, SM 5
Rarely used	1, 2, 5, 25 dirams
Banknotes
Freq. used	SM 10, SM 20, SM 50, SM 100, SM 200, SM 500
Rarely used	1, 5, 20, 50 dirams, SM 1, SM 3, SM 5

The somoni (Tajik: cомонӣ, code: TJS) is the official money of Tajikistan. It is often shortened to SM. One somoni is divided into 100 smaller units called dirams (Tajik: дирам).

How the Somoni Started

The somoni was first used on October 30, 2000. It took the place of the old money, which was called the rouble. When the change happened, 1 somoni was worth 1,000 roubles.

Diram banknotes (paper money) were also introduced on the same day in 2000. Coins for dirams came out later in 2001. The idea was to make the money system work better. It was also the first time Tajikistan used its own coins since it became an independent country in 1991.

Tajikistan's Coins

The first coins for the somoni were made in 2001. They came in values of 5, 10, 20, 25, and 50 dirams. These were made from steel with a brass coating. There were also coins for SM 1, SM 3, and SM 5, which were made from steel with a nickel coating.

In 2003, new SM 3 and SM 5 coins were released. These coins were made from two different metals. The pictures on the back of somoni coins often change each year. They celebrate different important events.

A second set of coins was released in June 2012, dated 2011. This set included 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 dirams, plus SM 1. A third set of somoni coins came out in 2018. These were for SM 1, SM 3, and SM 5.

Tajikistan's coins are made in Russia by a company called Goznak. They are produced at the Saint Petersburg Mint.

First Series of Coins (2001)

The first coins were made in 2001. They included diram coins and somoni coins.

The First Series [1]
Image		Value	Technical parameters				Description			Date of minting
Reverse	Obverse		Diameter	Thickness	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse
		5 dirams	16.5 mm	1.35 mm	2 g	brass-clad steel	Plain	Tajik 7-star crown, "ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон"1, year of minting	Value	2001
		10 dirams	17.5 mm	1.4 mm	2.4 g
		20 dirams	18.5 mm	1.4 mm	2.7 g
		25 diram	19 mm	1.4 mm	2.76 g	Brass
		50 diram	21 mm	1.45 mm	3.6 g
		SM 1	24 mm	1.6 mm	5.2 g	See remark 2	Reeded and plain sections	Ismail Samani, "ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон", value,	Value and the Tajik 7-star crown, year of minting	2001
		SM 3	25.5 mm	1.8 mm	6.3 g		Lettered	Coat of arms, "ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон", value
		SM 5	26.5 mm	1.85 mm	7 g		Reeded and plain sections with a star	Abuabdullo Rudaki, "ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон", value, "Рӯдакӣ"3
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

Remarks on Coins

• "ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон" means "Republic of Tajikistan."
• The materials for SM 1, SM 3, and SM 5 coins are debated. Some sources say they are made of cupronickel-zinc, while the Central Bank says cupronickel.
• "Рӯдакӣ" is the name "Rudaki."

Second Series of Coins (2011)

A second set of coins was released in 2011. This series included smaller diram coins and a 1 somoni coin.

The Second Series
Image		Value	Technical parameters				Description			Date of minting
Reverse	Obverse		Diameter	Thickness	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse
		1 diram	14.5 mm	1.3 mm	1.3 g	Brass-clad steel	Plain	Coat of arms, "ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон", year of minting	Value	2011
		2 diram	16 mm	1.4 mm	1.6 g
		5 diram	18 mm	1.5 mm	2 g	Copper-clad brass
		10 diram	20.5 mm	1.7 mm	3 g
		20 diram	23.5 mm	1.8 mm	4.5 g		Corrugated
		50 diram	26 mm	2 mm	5.5 g		reeded
		SM 1	27 mm	1.6 mm	5.2 g	Cupronickel-clad steel
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

Third Series of Coins (2018)

The third set of somoni coins was released in 2018. These coins were for SM 1, SM 3, and SM 5.

Coins of the third series (2018)
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description			Date of
		Diameter	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	minting	issue	withdrawal	lapse
	SM 1	24.5 mm	5.8 g	Nickel-brass	Reeded	Country name, Mirzo Tursunzoda	Value and the Tajik 7-star crown, year of minting	2018	20 June 2018	Current
	SM 3	25.5 mm	6.3 g		Plain with lettered inscription "СЕ СОМОНӢ"	Country name, Shirinsho Shotemur
	SM 5	26.5 mm	7.0 g		Reeded	Country name, Sadriddin Aynii
These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table.

Tajikistan's Banknotes

Banknotes (paper money) for 1, 5, 20, and 50 dirams were printed in 1999 and released in 2000. Somoni banknotes for SM 1, SM 5, SM 10, SM 20, SM 50, and SM 100 were also released at this time.

In 2010, a new SM 3 note was added. Also, because prices were going up, the National Bank of Tajikistan released larger value notes: SM 200 and SM 500.

Some of the somoni notes (SM 5, SM 10, SM 20, SM 50, and SM 100) were reissued in 2013. They still showed the year 1999. In 2021, the SM 100 banknote was updated. It now shows the Navruz Palace on the back instead of the Presidential Palace.

The Current Series [2]
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Colour	Description			Date of
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse	Watermark	printing	issue
		1 diram	100 × 60 mm	Brown	Sadriddin Ayni Theatre and Opera House	Pamir Mountains	Two mountains over rectangle	1999	2000
		5 dirams		Blue	Arbob Cultural Palace	Shrine of Mirzo Tursunzoda
		20 dirams		Green	Meetings Hall of the National Bank of Tajikistan	Mountain road
		50 dirams		Purple	Ismoili Somoni	Mountain valley
		SM 1	141 × 65 mm	Green	Mirzo Tursunzoda	National Bank of Tajikistan	Portrait
		SM 3		Violet	Shirinsho Shotemur	Majlisi Oli		2010	2010
		SM 5	144 × 65 mm	Blue	Sadriddin Ayni	Shrine of Abuabdullo Rudaki		1999	2000 2010 2013 2017 2018
		SM 10	147 × 65 mm	Red	Mir Said Alii Hamadoni	Tomb of Mir Said Alii Hamadoni
		SM 20	150 × 65 mm	Yellow-brown	Abuali ibn Sino	Hissar Castle
		SM 50	153 × 65 mm	Blue	Bobojon Gafurov	Chaikhana (teahouse) Sino
		SM 100	156 × 65 mm	Brown	Ismoili Somoni	Presidential Palace
		SM 200	159 x 68 mm	Brown and Yellow	Nusratullo Maksum	National Library building in Dushanbe		2010	2010 2018
		SM 500	162 x 71 mm	Purple and Gray	Abuabdullo Rudaki	Palace of Nations in Dushanbe
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

See Also

• Economy of Tajikistan

Images for kids

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  Obverse of 1 diram coin (2011)

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  Reverse of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 diram coins (2011)

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  Obverse of 2 diram coin (2011)

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  Obverse of 5 diram coin (2011)

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  Obverse of 10 diram coin (2011)

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  Obverse of 20 diram coin (2011)

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  Obverse of 50 diram coin (2011)

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  Obverse of SM 1 coin (2011)

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  Reverse of SM 1 coin (2011)

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  Obverse of SM 5 coin (2018)

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  Obverse of 1 diram banknote (1999)

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  Reverse of 1 diram banknote (1999)

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  Obverse of 5 diram banknote (1999)

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  Reverse of 5 diram banknote (1999)

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  Obverse of 20 diram banknote (1999)

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  Reverse of 20 diram banknote (1999)

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  Obverse of 50 diram banknote (1999)

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  Reverse of 50 diram banknote (1999)

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  Obverse of SM 1 banknote (1999)

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  Reverse of SM 1 banknote (1999)

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  Obverse of SM 3 banknote (2010)

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  Reverse of SM 3 banknote (2010)

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  Obverse of SM 5 banknote (1999)

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  Reverse of SM 5 banknote (1999)

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  Obverse of SM 10 banknote (1999)

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  Reverse of SM 10 banknote (1999)

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  Obverse of SM 20 banknote (1999)

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  Reverse of SM 20 banknote (1999)

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  Obverse of SM 50 banknote (1999)

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  Reverse of SM 50 banknote (1999)

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  Obverse of SM 100 banknote (1999)

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  Reverse of SM 100 banknote (1999)

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  Obverse of SM 200 banknote (2010)

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  Reverse of SM 200 banknote (2010)

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  Obverse of SM 500 banknote (2010)

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  Reverse of SM 500 banknote (2010)