eBay

Kyrgyzstan P-34 20 Som 2023 UNC—Commemorative—"Poet of the Steppe"

Kyrgyzstan P-34 20 Som 2023, graded Uncirculated or better.

Banknote Characteristics

Front: Portrait of Kyrgyz poet Toğoloq Moldo (real name: Bayımbet Abdıraqman uulu, 1860–1942); national ornaments; Cyrillic inscriptions reading Bank of Kyrgyzstan and Twenty Som
Back: The 15th-century Taş-Rabat stone caravanserai in At-Başı District, Narın Province, surrounded by the Tien Shan mountains; Cyrillic inscriptions reading Bank of Kyrgyzstan and Twenty Som
Watermark: Portrait of Toğoloq Moldo; electrotype '20'
Signatures: Kubanychbek Bokontayev, President of Kyrgyz Bank
Issuing Bank: Kyrgyz Bank (Кыргыз Банкы)
Currency: Som (ISO: KGS, 1993–date)
Denomination: 20 Som
Composition: Paper
Size: 120 × 58 mm
Shape: Rectangular
Issued: 15 February 2024
Commemorative Issue: 30th Anniversary of the National Currency
Printer: Crane Currency, United States (1801–date)
Country: Part of Russian Empire (to 1917); Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast / Kirghiz SSR as constituent republic of USSR (1917–1991); Independent Republic of Kyrgyzstan (1991–present)

Toğoloq Moldo — The Voice of the Steppe

Background & Style

Toğoloq Moldo — born Bayımbet Abdıraqman uulu in 1860 in the Talas region of what is now Kyrgyzstan — is one of the most celebrated figures in Kyrgyz literary and oral tradition. A self-taught poet, storyteller, and akyn (traditional improvising bard), he composed in the rich oral tradition of the Kyrgyz people at a time when the written word was rare and the spoken verse was the primary vessel of collective memory, moral instruction, and cultural identity.

His pen name, Toğoloq Moldo — meaning roughly "the round mullah" or "the complete scholar" — reflected both his religious education and his reputation as a man of broad wisdom. His poetry ranged from lyrical celebrations of the Kyrgyz landscape and nomadic life to sharp social satire, fables, and didactic verse aimed at exposing injustice, hypocrisy, and the corrupting effects of colonial rule.

Key Achievements

Toğoloq Moldo was among the first Kyrgyz poets to bridge the oral and written traditions. As literacy campaigns spread under early Soviet rule, his verses — previously transmitted mouth to ear across the steppe — were transcribed and published, preserving a body of work that might otherwise have been lost. He was a prolific contributor to the emerging Kyrgyz-language press in the 1920s and 1930s, writing poetry, fables, and essays that helped shape a nascent written literary culture.

He is also celebrated as a keeper and transmitter of the Epic of Manas — the vast Kyrgyz oral epic considered one of the longest in world literature. Though not a manaschi (specialist reciter of Manas) himself, Toğoloq Moldo's deep familiarity with the epic tradition informed his own work and his role as a cultural custodian during a period of profound upheaval.

Historical & Political Context

Toğoloq Moldo lived through one of the most turbulent periods in Central Asian history — the final decades of Tsarist Russian colonization, the 1916 Urkun uprising (in which tens of thousands of Kyrgyz perished or fled), the Bolshevik revolution, and the early Soviet transformation of nomadic society. His poetry engaged directly with these realities: he mourned the losses of the Urkun, critiqued the old feudal order, and — with cautious optimism — welcomed aspects of Soviet modernization while never abandoning his roots in Kyrgyz tradition.

This navigation of colonial and revolutionary pressures, always with the Kyrgyz people's dignity and memory at the center, is what makes his legacy so enduring and so complex.

Legacy

Toğoloq Moldo died in 1942, but his influence on Kyrgyz literature, language, and national identity has only grown. He is taught in schools, honored in museums, and now immortalized on Kyrgyzstan's currency — a fitting tribute to a man whose life's work was to give the Kyrgyz people a voice that could outlast empires.

One of the founding figures of modern Kyrgyz written literature
Master of the akyn tradition — improvised oral poetry of the steppe
Chronicler of the 1916 Urkun tragedy in verse
Contributor to the preservation of the Epic of Manas
National symbol of Kyrgyz cultural resilience and literary identity

A Final Reflection: The Word That Survives the Conqueror

There is a kind of sovereignty that no empire can fully extinguish — the sovereignty of the spoken word, passed from mouth to ear across generations of steppe and mountain. Toğoloq Moldo understood this instinctively. While borders were redrawn and rulers changed, he kept singing — in the language of his people, about the things that mattered to his people. The poem, he seemed to know, outlasts the decree.

To hold this banknote is to hold that continuity in your hands. Issued on the 30th anniversary of the Kyrgyz som — the currency born with the republic itself in 1993 — this note pairs the face of a poet who survived colonialism with the image of a caravanserai that survived centuries of Silk Road traffic. Both are monuments to endurance. Both remind us that what is built with care, and what is sung with truth, has a way of remaining.

30th Anniversary of the Kyrgyz Som — A Currency Comes of Age

This banknote was issued on 15 February 2024 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Kyrgyz som, introduced in May 1993 as Kyrgyzstan replaced the Soviet ruble with its own sovereign currency — one of the first former Soviet republics to do so. The decision was bold: Kyrgyzstan acted independently of the ruble zone, signaling a decisive break with the Soviet economic order and a commitment to monetary self-determination.

Three decades on, the som has weathered the turbulence of post-Soviet transition, regional financial crises, and the pressures of a landlocked economy navigating global markets. This commemorative 20 Som note — modest in face value, significant in meaning — celebrates that journey. By placing Toğoloq Moldo on its face and Taş-Rabat on its reverse, Kyrgyzstan's central bank chose to mark its currency's anniversary not with abstract symbols of statehood, but with the living textures of Kyrgyz civilization: its poets, its roads, its mountains.

For collectors of commemorative issues, post-Soviet transitional currency, or Central Asian numismatics, this note represents a rare intersection of monetary history and cultural commemoration — a 30-year milestone rendered in paper, ink, and the enduring imagery of the Kyrgyz steppe.

Live in the United States? No surprise tariff bills when you receive your shipment!

Since the US president enacted high tariffs earlier in 2025, US collectors ordering from dealers in other countries have sometimes received nasty surprises - bills of 25-35 dollars for processing tariffs, in addition to 10-50% tariffs on the purchase amount. World Money Store ships from the United States, so any and all tariffs due are already covered by us.

Live outside the United States? You are not affected by this issue.

Shipping outside the United States

Option 1: inexpensive ordinary airmail letter

We offer shipping via untracked standard airmail letter without a customs declaration for around 3â4 U.S. dollars. If you require tracking, you must choose eBay International Shipping or USPS and UPS options as offered. These take between 1 and 3 weeks and cost between 14 and 25 USD depending on the country and service selected.

Letters to Canada, European Union*, Armenia, Hong Kong, Israel/Palestine, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the UK take between one and THREE weeks.
Letters to Australia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Iceland, Malaysia, Panama, Qatar, Sri Lanka and EU/UK/Aus/NZ overseas territories take between one and FIVE weeks.
We do not ship untracked to *Bulgaria, *Croatia, or any other country not listed

Option 2: tracked package

Choose eBay International Shipping or USPS First Class Intl. Package, if offered. These cost between 14 and 25 USD depending on the country.

Buy with Confidence

You will receive (a) banknote(s) similar to the one in the picture, in the condition mentioned in the listing title such as UNC, VF, etc. See below for definitions.
Serial numbers will vary
Authenticity: All banknotes are guaranteed genuine currency, sourced from reliable suppliers and verified by our team. Exception: some souvenir and gold foil notes that are clearly marked as souvenir, fantasy, gold foil, etc.
Return the banknote within 14 days of receipt for your money back if not satisfied.

Save on shipping â make one transaction!

Add items that you want to the cart, then check out in one transaction. If you make separate transactions, this results in additional charges to us of 0.40 USD which we will deduct from your shipping refund. Request a shipping refund in a note with your order, or message us.

Banknote Grading Guide

Grades reflect overall market perception, not rigid defect counting alone. Notes sold from grouped inventory may vary slightly within grade. Individual defects such as foxing, writing, or small marks may be reflected in the grade rather than always itemized separately. Buyers may return any note within 14 days of receipt; satisfaction is guaranteed.

UNC (Uncirculated ~60-70): folds none; handling none to trace; paper crisp; corners sharp; splits/tears none; missing pieces none; surface clean; impressions (counting-band or security-thread half-moon) permitted if there is no paper break, fiber disturbance, or ink/design loss.
AU/UNC (Almost Unc. Plus ~55-58): folds 1 very light fold (soft bend, no sharp crease, no design break) or up to 3 corner bends; handling trace; paper crisp; corners nearly sharp.
AU (Almost Unc. ~50-53): folds 1 light fold or 2 very light folds; handling light; paper crisp to slightly relaxed; corners slightly rounded.
XF+ (Extra Fine Plus ~45-48): folds 2-3 light folds; handling light; paper crisp to regular; edges minor wear begins.
XF (Extra Fine ~40-44): folds 3-4 light to moderate folds; handling moderate; paper crisp to regular; edges/splits minor splits may appear.
VF+ (Very Fine Plus ~35-39): folds 4-6 moderate folds; handling moderate; paper regular to semi-limp; splits minor and more common.
VF (Very Fine ~30-34): folds 6-8 moderate to heavy folds; paper semi-limp; splits small but typical; surface light soiling visible.
VFâ (Very Fine Minus ~25-29): folds 8-12 heavy folds; paper semi-limp to limp; splits moderate; surface duller; foxing/writing may be present and reflected in grade without separate notation.
F (Fine 15-20): folds 12-15 heavy folds, may include very heavy folds; paper limp; splits frequent; tears up to 10 mm, limited in number; missing pieces up to 3 small edge/corner pieces, each up to about 3Ã3 mm; foxing/writing may be present and reflected in grade without separate notation.
Fâ (Fine Minus ~12-14): folds numerous very heavy folds; paper limp; splits common; tears up to about 15 mm; missing pieces up to 5 small pieces, each up to about 5 mm; foxing/writing may be present and reflected in grade without separate notation.
VG/F (Very Good to Fine ~10-12): folds dense network of very heavy folds; paper very limp; splits heavy; tears common; missing pieces multiple; foxing/writing may be minor or significant and reflected in grade without separate notation.
VG (Very Good ~8-10): folds severe overlapping very heavy folds; paper very limp; splits heavy with edge damage; missing pieces multiple; surface poor eye appeal; foxing/writing may be minor or significant and reflected in grade without separate notation.

Definitions

Handling: surface fatigue without structural change; loss of crispness, slight dulling, and/or micro-flexing; not a true fold.
Fold severity: very light = bend only, no sharp crease, no ink disturbance; light = thin crease, clean line, no ink loss; moderate = visible pressure, slightly widened line; heavy = broad crease, may vary slightly in placement; very heavy = thick, uneven, with weakened or partially lost design along the fold.
Half-moon / band impression: curved pressure mark from a counting strap or internal security thread; acceptable in UNC if the paper is not broken and there is no fiber or design disturbance; if flattening or disturbance is visible, the note is typically AU/UNC or lower. A simple central-bank band impression is generally less serious than a mark that visibly disturbs the printed design.
Foxing: age-related spotting. Minor foxing typically lowers a note about one grade step; major foxing lowers it multiple steps.
Pen marks / writing: minor means under about 2 cmÂ² total visible writing; major means more than ~2 cmÂ² or visually dominant writing. Minor writing lowers a note one grade step; major writing lowers it multiple steps.
Tears / splits / missing pieces: structural defects. These must remain within the limits of the assigned grade; excessive size, count, or severity forces a downgrade.
When foxing, writing or tears downgrade a note, the issue may be absorbed into the assigned grade without explicit mention.