The portrait of al-Farabi on this 200 tenge comes from the 1 tenge banknote of 1993, part of the very first series of notes of Kazakhstan’s national currency. With this coin, together with «Kurmangazy» and «Suyinbay», the National Bank launched the «Portraits on Banknotes» series on 6 December 2023, devoted to the portraits of the first tenge notes.

Abu Nasr al-Farabi (c. 870-950) was a philosopher and scholar whom later thinkers called the «Second Teacher», Aristotle being the first. He wrote on logic, metaphysics and political philosophy, mastered both the theory and practice of music and wrote the Great Book of Music; through his works Aristotle’s thought also reached medieval Europe. Today the Kazakh National University in Almaty bears his name.

The reverse shows the thinker’s portrait, the year «2023» and his name in Kazakh, «ÄL-FARABI»; the obverse carries the emblem of Kazakhstan between elements of national ornament and the Kazakh-English legend «QAZAQSTAN RESPÝBLIKASY / REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN». The nickel silver coin was struck by the Kazakhstan Mint in 50,000 pieces; a silver 500 tenge proof version was limited to 2,000.

Placed next to its prototype, the 1 tenge note, the coin forms a pair in which numismatics and banknote collecting tell the same story. Uncirculated condition: the coin never circulated, shows no wear and keeps its mint lustre.

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