Armenian Dram (AMD) Profile

Armenian dram symbol

1/100 luma (լումա)(not used)
10 dram, 20 dram, 50 dram, 100 dram, 200 dram, 500 dram
 
1000 dram, 5000 dram, 10000 dram, 20000 dram, 50000dram, 100000 dram
 
Central Bank of Armenia (www.cba.am)

Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic

Armenian dram user

Armenian dram is the currency of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh Republic which has limited international recognition. Armenia (officially the Republic of Armenia) is in the South Caucasus region, and locates at the crossroad of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. 

Armenia is one of the fifteen post-Soviet states which declared to secede from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (or the Soviet Union, USSR) in its dissolution in December of 1991. The 15 post-Soviet states are usually divided into five groupings which are Russia, three Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia ), five Central  Asia states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan), three Eastern Europe states (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova), and three Southern Caucasus states (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan).

The 15 post-Soviet states (exchange rate refer to: Jan 30th,2013)
Groups Countries Currency name Code 1 USD= 1 EUR= 1 GBP=
Russia Russia Russian ruble RUB 30.02101 40.73320 47.46084
Eastern Europe states Ukraine Ukrainian hryvnia UAH 8.14863 11.05339 12.87830
Belarus Belarusian ruble BYR 8333.33333 11111.11111 14285.71429
Moldova Moldovan leu MDL 12.04964 16.34521 19.04399
Baltic states Lithuania Lithuanian litas LTL 2.54537 3.45280 4.02253
Latvia Latvian lats LVL 0.51548 0.69925 0.81466
Estonia Euro EUR 0.73719 1.00000 1.16505
Central Asia states Kazakhstan Kazakhstani tenge KZT 150.82956 257.06941 238.66348
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstani som KGS 47.80115 64.85084 75.52870
Tajikistan Tajikistani somoni TJS 4.76190 6.46078 7.52615
Uzbekistan Uzbekistani som UZS 2000.00000 2702.70270 3125.00000
Turkmenistan Turkmenistani manat TMT 2.84998 3.86683 4.50471
Southern Caucasus states Georgia Georgian lari GEL 1.65582 2.24659 2.61718
Armenia Armenian dram AMD 406.50407 552.48619 645.16129
Azerbaijan Azerbaijani manat AZN 0.78440 1.06428 1.23985

Armenian dram history

Armenia used dram as currency could go back to the period of 1199 to 1375 when silver coins called dram were issued. Armenian dram (currency code: AMD) was introduced in November 1993 replacing the old Soviet rubles (currency code: SUR) at a rate of 1 AMD= 200 SUR.

The word “dram” is cognate with the Greek drachma and the Arabic dirham. Both the names of dirham and dram derive from drachma. Greek drachma (currency code: GRD) used to be the currency of Greece and has been replaced by the euro (currency code: EUR) at a fixed rate of 1 EUR=340.750 GRD since Jan 2002. Two currencies are dirham and they are United Arab Emirates dirham (AED) and Moroccan dirham (MAD). AED is the currency of the United Arab Emirates. MAD is the currency of Morocco and Western Sahara.

Armenian dram coins and banknotes

Armenian dram is subdivided into 100 luma but which is not used. Its currency symbol is .

Currently in circulation Armenian dram coins were issues in 2004. They are 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500.

Armenia issued banknotes since 1993 with 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 dram, later issued 1000, 5000, 20000, 50000 and 10000 dram in the later years.  However the smaller denominations banknotes of 10, 25, 50, 100 drams are no longer in circulation but may be exchanged at banks.  The 500 dram is only accepted as legal tender with the version issued in 1999 not the one of 1993.