322) Currency & Coinage of Mongolia: Togrog or Tugrik and Mongo (Part II): Historical Development of the Banknotes of Mongolia:

322) Currency & Coinage of Mongolia: Togrog or Tugrik and Mongo (Part II): Historical Development of the Banknotes of Mongolia:

(For Part I of this post: Currency & Coinage of Mongolia: Togrog or tugrik and Mongo: Evolution of the coinage of Mongolia & the spread of Buddhism, please click on the following link: Currency & Coinage of Mongolia: Part I) Evolution of the Coinage of Mongolia & the spread of Buddhism)

In 1260, the World’s first Banknotes were issued in Mongolia upon the establishment of the Great Yuan Dynasty.                         
Mongolian dollar: Between 1921 and 1925, the Currency of Mongolia was the Mongolian dollar. The denominations issued were – 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars. It was intended to replace the Chinese Yuan at par, but the currency had little value.

In 1924, more Banknotes, including more denominations were printed comprising Banknote denominations of 50 cents, 1, 3, 5, 10 and 25 dollars, but were not issued due to their insignificant value.

On 09.12.1925, Togrog was created as the National Currency which replaced the Mongolian dollar and all other circulating currencies.

From 01.04.1928, the Togrog became the sole circulating currency.

The Togrog Banknotes during the Mongolian People’s Republic Era closely resembled the Soviet Rouble Banknotes – in the colour themes, overall designs and the denominational values. They were all printed in the Soviet Union.

Present day Mongolian banknotes are printed in Great Britain.

The six Banknote Series issued during the “People’s Republic of Mongolia Era”:

The denominations in each of the six Series issued during the Mongolian People’s Republic period were – 1 Togrog (brown), 3 Togrog (green), 5 Togrog (blue), 10 Togrog (green), 20 Togrog (red), 25 Togrog (lilac), 50 Togrog (green) and 100 Togrog (brown).

The colour scheme changed on a few occasions only.

1) The 1925 Series of Banknotes:

On the Front, the Banknotes depicted the “Soyombo” symbol and the denominational value of the Banknote. On the Back, the denominational value of the banknote was printed.

The only difference was that a 2 Togrog Banknote was printed in green instead of a 3 Togrog Banknote. The script used on the Banknotes is Mongolian.

This Series was recalled in 1940 and became worthless since 1966. 

                        An illustration of the Soyombo symbol

The “Soyombo” Symbol:  The “Soyombo” is a special character out of the Mongolian script that was invented by Zanabazar in 1686.

The term “Soyombo” is derived from the Sanskrit word “Swayambhu” (meaning “created by itself”). It serves as a National Symbol of Mongolia and is found on the Flag and the Coat of Arms of Mongolia and on many other official documents.

In the “Soyombo” script, the two variations of the “Soyombo” symbol are used to mark the beginning and end of a text. It is possible that the symbol predates the script.

The elements in the symbol have the following significance –

- Fire is a general symbol of eternal growth, wealth and success. The three tongues of the flame represent the past, present and future.

-  Sun and Moon symbolise that the Mongolian Nation will exist till eternity as the eternal blue sky. Mongolian symbol of the Sun, Moon and fire is derived from the “Xiongnu”.

(The “Xiongnu” were a large confederation of Eurasian nomads who dominated the Asian Steppe from the late 3^rd Century BC to the late 1^st Century AD. The Empire created by Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader lasted from 209 BC to 93 AD. The Empire stretched beyond the borders of modern-day Mongolia. The Empire was active in Southern Siberia, Mongolia, Gansu and Xinjiang and there were repeated military conflicts with the Chinese dynasties alternating with peace overtures. Some hypotheses suggest that they could have been synonymous with the Huns.)

- The two triangles allude to the point of an arrow or spear. They point downward to announce the defeat of interior and exterior enemies.

- The two horizontal rectangles give stability to the round shape.  The rectangular shape represents the honesty and justice of the people of Mongolia, whether they stand at the top or at the bottom of society.

- The “arga-bilge” (Yin-Yang) symbol illustrates the mutual complement of man and woman. In Socialist times, it was alternatively interpreted as the walls of a fort. They represent unity and strength, relating to a Mongolian proverb: “The friendship of two is stronger than stone walls”.

2)  The 1939 Series of Banknotes:

On the Front, the Banknotes depicted the “Soyombo” symbol and Damdin Sukhbaatar. On the Back, the denominational value of the banknote was printed. The only difference was that the 25 Togrog Banknote was printed in brown. The script used on the banknotes is Mongolian. The corresponding Mongolian year is 29.

This Series was recalled in 1955 and became worthless since 1966.

3) The 1941 Series of Banknotes:

On the Front, the Banknotes depicted the Emblem of Mongolia and the Damdin Sukhbaatar. On the Back, the denominational value of the banknote was printed. The only difference was that the 25 Togrog Banknote was printed in brown. The script used on the banknotes is both Mongolian & Cyrillic. The corresponding Mongolian year is 31.

4) The 1955 Series of Banknotes:

On the Front, the Banknotes depicted the Emblem of Mongolia and Damdin Sukhbaatar. On the Back, the denominational value of the banknote was printed. The only difference was that the 25 Togrog Banknote was printed in blue on the Front and brown on the Back. The script used on the banknotes is Cyrillic.

This Series was recalled in 1966 and became worthless since then.

5) The 1966 Series of Banknotes:

On the Front, the Banknotes depicted the Emblem of Mongolia and Damdin Sukhbaatar (except for the 1 Togrog Banknote). On the Back, the denominational value of the banknote was printed for denominations from 1 to 25 Togrog and the Government House for denominations of 50 and 100 Togrog.

The script used on the banknotes is both Mongolian and Cyrillic.

6) The 1981 & 1983 Series of Banknotes:

On the Front, the Banknotes depicted the Emblem of Mongolia and Damdin Sukhbaatar (except for the 1 Togrog Banknote). On the Back, the denominational value of the banknote was printed for denominations from 1 to 25 Togrog (except for the 20 Togrog Banknote which depicted an Industrial Theme) and the Government House for denominations of 50 and 100 Togrog.

The only difference was that the 20 Togrog Banknote was printed in green, instead of the 25 Togrog Banknote.

The script used on the banknotes is both Mongolian and Cyrillic.

The 1993 Series of Banknotes (presently in circulation):

An image of the Front of a 10 Mongo Banknote showing the Soyombo symbol & Archery

On the Front of the 10 Mongo Banknote is depicted the Soyombo symbol and Archery.

An image of the Back of a 10 Mongo Banknote showing Archery

On the Back of the 10 Mongo Banknote is depicted Archery.

The size of this Banknote is 45 mm x 90 mm and its colour is Pink. This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993.

An image of the Front of a 20 Mongo Banknote showing the Soyombo symbol & Wrestling

On the Front of the 20 Mongo Banknote is depicted the Soyombo symbol and Wrestling.

An image of the Back of a 20 Mongo Banknote showing Wrestling

On the Back of the 20 Mongo Banknote is depicted Wrestling.

The size of this Banknote is 45 mm x 90 mm and its colour is Yellow-brown. This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993.

An image of the Front of a 20 Mongo Banknote showing the Soyombo symbol & Horse-riding

On the Front of the 50 Mongo Banknote is depicted the Soyombo symbol and Horse riding.

An image of the Back of a 20 Mongo Banknote showing Horse riding

On the Back of the 50 Mongo Banknote is depicted Horse riding.

The size of this Banknote is 45 mm x 90 mm and its colour is Green-Cyan. This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993.

The above three Banknote denominations are now seldom/rarely seen in circulation and have mostly become Collector’s items.

An image of the Front of a 1 Togrog banknote showing a lion and a Piaza

On the Front of the 1 Togrog or “Neg” Banknote is depicted a lion and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 1 Togrog Banknote showing the Soyombo symbol and a Piaza. The year of issue is “2008” on the bottom left.

On the Back of the 1 Togrog or “Neg” Banknote is depicted the Soyombo symbol and Piaza.

The size of this Banknote is 115 mm x 57 mm and its colour is Yellow-brown. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Damdin Sukhbaatar.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993.

                                           An image of a Piaza

Piaza: A “Piaza” or “Piazi” was a tablet carried by Mongol officials and envoys which represented certain privileges and authority. It enabled Mongol nobles and officials to demand goods and services from the civilian population.

Sometimes, to attract foreign or overseas merchants and talented people, the Great Khans allotted Piazas to them, exempting them from taxes and allowing them to use relay stations.

Someone holding a Piaza was required to be supplied with horses and to be served specific rations, but on many occasions, it transpired that the officials and nobles of the Mongol Empire issued Piazas “unofficially” and abused civilians. As such, Ogedei Khan (1229-1241) prohibited the use of Piazas.

An image of the Front of a 5 Togrog banknote showing a portrait of Sukhbaatar, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza

On the Front of the 5 Togrog or “Tavan” Banknote is depicted a portrait of Sukhbaatar, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 5 Togrog Banknote showing mountainous landscape and a Piaza. The year of issue is “2008” on the bottom left.

On the Back of the 5 Togrog or “Tavan” Banknote is depicted a mountainous landscape and horses eating grass.

The size of this Banknote is 120 mm x 59 mm and its colour is Orange. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Damdin Sukhbaatar.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993 and then again in 2008.

This denomination has also largely fallen out of circulation and is mostly used in Banks for accounting purposes.

Damdin Sukhbaatar (02.02.1893 – 20.02.1923): He was a founding member of the Mongolian People’s Party and leader of the Mongolian Partisan Army that liberated “Khuree” (present day the Mongolian capital city of  “Ulaanbaatar”, meaning “Red Hero”, which is named after him), during the Outer Mongolian Revolution of 1921.

Enshrined as the “Father of Mongolia’s Revolution” he is remembered as one of the most important figures in Mongolia’s struggle for Independence.

The Order of Sukhbaatar is the highest decoration of the Mongolian State. A statue of Sukhbaatar stands at Sukhbaatar Square in front of the Government building in Ulaanbaatar. Other places named after him include Sukhbaatar Province, the capital of Selenge Province, and a district of Ulaanbaatar.

 Mongolian Banknotes between 5 and 100 Togrog (1993 series) depict a portrait of Sukhbaatar with the higher denominations bearing the portrait of Genghis Khan.

An image of the Front of a 10 Togrog banknote showing a portrait of Sukhbaatar, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza

On the Front of the 10 Togrog or “Arvan” Banknote is depicted a portrait of Sukhbaatar, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 10 Togrog Banknote showing mountainous landscape and a Piaza. The year of issue is “2008” on the bottom left.

On the Back of the 10 Togrog or “Arvan” Banknote is depicted a mountainous landscape and horses eating grass.

The size of this Banknote is 125 mm x 61 mm and its colour is Green. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Damdin Sukhbaatar.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993 and then again in 2002, 2009, 2011 and 2013.

This denomination is presently the smallest one presently in use in circulation by users.

An image of the Front of a 20 Togrog banknote showing a portrait of Sukhbaatar, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza

On the Front of the 20 Togrog or “Horin” Banknote is depicted a portrait of Sukhbaatar, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 20 Togrog Banknote showing mountainous landscape and a Piaza.

On the Back of the 20 Togrog or “Horin” Banknote is depicted a mountainous landscape and horses eating grass.

The size of this Banknote is 130 mm x 64 mm and its colour is Dark Red. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Damdin Sukhbaatar.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993 and then again in 2002, 2009, 2011 and 2013.

An image of the Front of a 50 Togrog banknote showing a portrait of Sukhbaatar, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza

On the Front of the 50 Togrog or “Tavin” Banknote is depicted a portrait of Sukhbaatar, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 50 Togrog Banknote showing mountainous landscape and a Piaza.

On the Back of the 50 Togrog or “Tavin” Banknote is depicted a mountainous landscape and horses eating grass.

The size of this Banknote is 135 mm x 66 mm and its colour is Violet Brown. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Damdin Sukhbaatar.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993 and then again in 2002, 2008 and 2013.

An image of the Front of a 100 Togrog banknote showing a portrait of Sukhbaatar, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza

On the Front of the 100 Togrog or “Zuun” Banknote is depicted a portrait of Sukhbaatar, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 100 Togrog Banknote showing mountainous landscape and a Piaza . This Banknote was printed in "1994" as seen on the bottom left

On the Back of the 100 Togrog or “Zuun” Banknote is depicted a mountainous landscape and horses eating grass.

The size of this Banknote is 140 mm x 68 mm and its predominant colour is Violet. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Damdin Sukhbaatar.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993 and then again in 2000, 2008 and 2013.

An image of the Front of a 500 Togrog banknote showing a portrait of Genghis Khan, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza

On the Front of the 500 Togrog or “Tavan Zuun” Banknote is depicted a portrait of Chenggis Khan, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 500 Togrog Banknote showing a moving Mongolian oxcart with a Yurt. The year of issue is “2013” on the bottom left.

On the Back of the 500 Togrog or “Tavan Zuun” Banknote is depicted a moving Mongolian oxcart with a yurt.

The size of this Banknote is 145 mm x 70 mm and its predominant colour is Green. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Genghis Khan or Chinggis Khan.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993 and then again in 2000, 2008 and 2013.

                                             Images of  Yurts

Yurt: A Yurt or Ger is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia.

A yurt is designed to be dismantled and the parts carried compactly on camels or yaks to be rebuilt on another site. The entire movement of several Yurts together was nicknamed as “cities on the move”.

The designs of Mongolian Ger developed from its ancient simple forms to actively integrate with Buddhist culture. The crown – “toono” – adopted the shape of the “Dharma Chakra”. The earlier style of toono, is called “sarkhinag toono”, while the toono representing the Buddhist Dharma Chakra is called “khorlo” toono.

The shapes, colours and ornaments of the wooden elements – toono, pillars and poles of the Mongolian yurt correspond with the artistic style found in Buddhist monasteries of Mongolia. Such yurts are called “uyagiin ger” (meaning “home of lyrics” or “home of melodies”).

Buddhist symbol “Dharma Chakra” is represented by the “Khorlo” toono. Other Buddhist symbols like the “Khadag” hangs from the toono and “dpaljibeu” is present on the stove.

The structure comprises of an angled assembly or latticework of pieces of wood or bamboo for walls, a door frame, ribs (poles, rafters etc.) and a wheel (crown or compression ring) which is mostly steam bent. The roof structure is self-supporting. Large yurts may have interior posts supporting the crown. The top of the wall of self-supporting yurts is prevented from spreading by means of a tension band.

Modern yurts may be permanently built on a wooden platform by using modern materials such as steam-bent wooden frames or metal frames, canvas or tarpaulin, Plexiglas dome, wire rope or radiant insulation etc.

An image of the Front of a 1000 Togrog banknote showing a portrait of Genghis Khan, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza

On the Front of the 1000 Togrog or “Myangan Zuun” Banknote is depicted a portrait of Genghis Khan or Chenggis Khan, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 1000 Togrog Banknote showing a moving Mongolian oxcart with a Yurt. The year of issue is “2013” on the bottom left.

On the Back of the 1000 Togrog or “Myangan Zuun” Banknote is depicted a moving Mongolian oxcart with a yurt.

The size of this Banknote is 150 mm x 72 mm and its predominant colour is Blue. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Genghis Khan or Chinggis Khan.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1993 and then again in 1997, 2003, 2011 and 2013.

An image of the Front of a 5000 Togrog banknote showing a portrait of Genghis Khan and a Piaza

On the Front of the 5000 Togrog or “Tavan Myangan” Banknote is depicted a portrait of Genghis Khan or Chenggis Khan, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 5000 Togrog Banknote showing the “Drinking fountain” at Genghis Khan’s court. The year of issue is “2013” on the bottom left.

On the Back of the 5000 Togrog or “Tavan Myangan” Banknote is depicted “Drinking fountain at Genghis Khan’s court.

The size of this Banknote is 150 mm x 72 mm and its predominant colour is Violet Red. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Genghis Khan or Chinggis Khan.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1994 and then again in 2002, 2009, 2013 and 2014.

An image of the Front of a 10000 Togrog banknote showing a portrait of Genghis Khan and a Piaza

On the Front of the 10000 Togrog or “Arvan Myangan” Banknote is depicted a portrait of Genghis Khan or Chenggis Khan, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 10000 Togrog Banknote showing the “Drinking fountain” at Genghis Khan’s court. The year of issue is “2014” on the bottom left.

On the Back of the 10000 Togrog or “Arvan Myangan” Banknote is depicted “Drinking fountain at Genghis Khan’s court.

The size of this Banknote is 150 mm x 72 mm and its predominant colours are Green and Orange. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Genghis Khan or Chinggis Khan.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 1995 and then again in 2002, 2009 and 2014.

An image of the Front of a 20000 Togrog banknote showing a portrait of Genghis Khan and a Piaza

On the Front of the 20000 Togrog or “Horin Myangan” Banknote is depicted a portrait of Genghis Khan or Chenggis Khan, a Soyombo symbol and a Piaza.

An image of the Back of a 20000 Togrog Banknote showing the “Nine Base White Banners”. The year of issue is “2013” on the bottom left.

On the Back of the 20000 Togrog or “Horin Myangan” Banknote is depicted the “State Nine Flags” or the “Nine Base White Banners” or the “Yoson Khoit tsagaan tug”.

The size of this Banknote is 150 mm x 72 mm and its predominant colours are Lime and Purple. The watermark on this Banknote was that of Genghis Khan or Chinggis Khan.

This denomination of Banknote was first printed in 2006 and then again in 2009 and 2013.

              A representation of a Mongolian "Tug Banner"

A Tug Banner or the State Nine Flags:  This banner consists of a pole having circularly arranged horse or yak tail hairs of varying colours arranged at the top.

It was flown during the period of the Mongol Empire and is presently used in Mongolia and is akin to a flag.

A white-haired banner is a peace-time symbol while, a black banner symbolises war-time.

The original white banner fell into disuse and the black banner (“Dorvon khoit khar sulde” or the “Four base black banners”) came to represent Genghis Khan’s soul.  The Mongols continued to honour the banner and Zanabazar (1635-1723) built a monastery for the special purpose of flying and protecting the black banner in the 17^th century.

Then, in 1937, the black banner disappeared during the massive scale purges of the Nationalists, Buddhist monks and intellectuals and the destruction of monasteries.

The Nine White banners came into renewed significance in Mongolia after democracy was adopted in the early 1900s as a symbol of the traditional Mongolian State, replacing the red Communist flags.

The State Banner flown by the Mongols, the “Yoson Khoit tsagaan tug” or the “Nine Base White Banners” is composed of nine flag poles decorated with white horse tail hairs hanging from a round surface with a flame or trident=like shape on the top. The Nine White Banners was a peacetime emblem used exclusively by the Khans in front of their “yurt”. The Central banner is larger in size than the others and is placed in the centre of the other eight banners.

The modern Mongolian Nine White Banners are kept in the Government Palace in Ulaanbaatar.

Security features in the 20000 Togrog Banknote:

- The background picture, especially the denomination “20000” and inscription “Mongolia” in traditional scripts on the Front are printed in intaglio with high tactility when tilted with fingers.

-  The State symbol “Soyombo” with the denomination “20000” appears on the holographic patch on the front of the Banknote.

-  The inscription “MONGOLBANK” is printed in micro-print on the lower-front, left corner of the Banknote.

-  The portrait of Chinggis Khan and the letters “Mb” appear in the watermark on the right front side of the Banknote when viewed against the light.

-  The circles on both sides of Chinggis Khan’s Order card coincide perfectly when viewed against the light.

-  The four horsemen on the lower right corner in the oval shape will appear with different changing back-grounds when viewed from angles.

-  The inscription “MONGOLBANK” and the State symbol “Soyombo” interchangeably appear on the 3 mm Security thread on the Back of the Banknote.

-  The portrait of Chinggis Khan, background of “Soyombo” and the denomination “20000” will appear in green under UV light.

-  The security fibres in the Banknote as a whole, which are fluorescent in colours, are visible only under UV light.

The Security features seen on the 1993 series of Banknotes in general are:

-  Security thread – a metallic thread is embedded inside the paper in the higher denominations. It can be seen by holding the Banknote against the light.

-  Serial numbers are printed with special inks that change colours as the Banknote is put under Ultra Violet light (UV light)

- Watermark in 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Togrog depicts the figure of Sukhbaatar, leader of the Mongolian revolution in 1921. Watermark in 500, 1000, 5000, 10000 and 20000 Togrog Banknotes depicts Chinggis Khan, the founder of Mongolian Empire in 1206 AD. Watermarks can be seen on the right side of the Banknotes, when the Banknote is held against the light.

-  Latent image depicting a “Warrior on the Horse” has a sculptured engraving on the bottom right corner on the oval dot of 5000 and 10000, Togrog Banknotes, when looking at the Banknote at a particular angle, the above legend becomes visible.

-  The basic designs of larger Banknotes have special effects against offset scanners and photo-copiers light.

-  On the right side of the higher denomination Banknotes, there is micro-lettering with the wording “Mongol Bank” which is printed in very small type looks like a plain solid line to the naked eye, but under magnification it can be read.

-  Intaglio printing made on the main figure and denominational numbers can be felt by a touch of the fingers.

-  On the left side of the main figure there is an invisible printing of denominational figure, which can be seen under quartz or Ultra-violet light.

-  The perfect register – see through feature – in the front of the Banknotes on the signboard designed like a small round dot is mirrored in the same position in the back of the Banknote. When seen through the light, both sides match exactly.

(The Banknotes illustrated above are from the collection of Jayant Biswas. Banknotes scanned & post researched & written by Rajeev Prasad)