Collector coins of the Republic of Armenia - 2023
Dear reader,
We are pleased to present the Collector Coins of the Republic of Armenia – 2023 annual journal, which presents the collector coins issued by the Central Bank of Armenia in 2023.
Armenian collector coins have always garnered great attention among the Armenian and international community and the general public interested in numismatics. The Central Bank of Armenia began issuing collector coins (made of gold, silver, and base metals) in 1994 with the aim of perpetuating and popularizing the history and culture of Armenia, prominent Armenians, and memorable events taking place in Armenia and the rest of the world, as well as meeting the public’s numismatic, collection, and investment demands.
The past year was marked by numerous jubilees, to which the Central Bank of Armenia responded with new numismatic issues.
November 22, 2023 was the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the Armenian dram. Alongside a series of events organized on the occasion of this momentous event, the Central Bank of Armenia issued the “30 Years of Armenian Dram” collector coin, as well as a series of circulating commemorative coins of six denominations. The issuance of the collector and circulating commemorative coins emphasizes the importance of the 30-year-old Armenian dram as a special symbol of the Armenian state in the economic, political, and cultural life of Armenian society.
2023 was also a jubilee year for Armenian cinema, marking the 100th anniversary of its founding. The occasion was included in UNESCO’s 2023 calendar of anniversaries of eminent personalities and important events. Valuing Armenian film art as a vital cultural component of the Armenian people and marking the popularization of Armenian film traditions and the transfer of film heritage to new generations, the Central Bank of Armenia issued a collector coin dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Armenian cinema. The Central Bank of Armenia was the guest of honor at one of the ceremonial events organized by the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports’ National Cinema Center of Armenia within the framework of the 100th anniversary of Armenian cinema.
Adhering to the tradition of celebrating the creative contributions of famous Armenian artists to Armenian and world culture, in 2023, the Central Bank of Armenia issued a collector coin dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the famous Armenian painter and sculptor Hagop Hagopian. The Central Bank of Armenia also participated in the “Mirror of Soul” exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Armenia on the occasion of the anniversary of the artist’s birthday, paying tribute to the Hagopian family.
One of the year’s notable releases under the “Celebrities” theme is a collector coin dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of famous Armenian gymnast Hrant Shahinyan, who was the first Armenian champion of the modern-day Olympic Games.
The year 2023 was memorable for Armenian sports fans for another reason: 50 years ago, the Ararat football team won both the USSR Cup and the title of USSR champion. The “Ararat-73 – 50th Anniversary of Golden Double” collector coin was issued to allow Armenian football fans to relive the glorious victory of Ararat-73 and pass on the memories to future generations. To mark that jubilee date, the Central Bank of Armenia hosted and honored famous football players of the Ararat-73 team Eduard Markarov, Sergey Poghosyan, Sergey Bondarenko, Norayr Mesropyan, and Arkady Harutyunyan.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the Armenian dram in 2023, the Central Bank of Armenia published the Notes and Coins of the Republic of Armenia book, which includes descriptions of circulating and collector banknotes and coins issued by the Central Bank of Armenia from 1993 through 2023, their photos, and prizes received in various numismatic competitions. I believe the information presented in the book will be interesting and useful to experts in the field of numismatics and to a wide range of readers.
Martin Galstyan
Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia