Armenian dram
Հայկական Դրամ (Armenian)
A 500-dram note that is no longer legal tender. A 500-dram note that is no longer legal tender.
ISO 4217 code	AMD
Central bank	Central Bank of Armenia
Website	www.cba.am
User(s)	Armenia  Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Inflation	4.5% (Armenia only)
Source	The World Factbook, 2007 est.
Subunit
1/100	luma (լումա)(not used)
Symbol
Coins	10 (tas), 20 (ksan), 50 (hisun), 100 (haryur), 200 (yerkuharyur), 500 (hingharyur) dram
Banknotes	1000 (hazar), 5000 (hing hazar), 10 000 (tas hazar), 20 000 (ksan hazar), 50 000 (hisun hazar), 100 000 (haryur hazar) dram

The dram (Armenian: Դրամ; sign: ; code: AMD) is the monetary unit of Armenia. It is subdivided into 100 luma (Armenian: լումա). The word "dram" translates into English as "money" and is cognate with the Greek drachma and the Arabic dirham. The Central Bank of Armenia has the exclusive right of issuing the national currency according to Armenian law.

History[link]

The first instance of a dram currency in Armenia was in the period from 1199 to 1375, when silver coins called dram were issued.

On 21 September 1991 a national referendum proclaimed Armenia as an independent republic from the Soviet Union. The Central Bank of Armenia was adopted on 27 March 1993, under the governorship of Isahak Isahakyan. However the old Soviet banknotes were legal tender until November 1993. The modern dram came into effect on 22 November 1993, at a rate of 200 rubles = 1 dram (1 USD : 377 AMD). The dram is not pegged to any other currency.

Coins[link]

In 1994, coins were introduced by the Central Bank of Armenia in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 luma, 1, 3, 5 and 10 dram. All were struck in aluminium. In 2003 and 2004, a new coinage ^[1] consisting of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 dram coins was introduced. The 10 dram is struck in aluminium, the 20 dram in copper-plated steel, the 50 dram in brass-plated steel, 100 dram in nickel-plated steel and 200 dram in brass. The 500 dram coin is bimetallic with a brass outer ring and cupronickel centre.

The Central Bank also produces commemorative coins. [3] [4]

Banknotes[link]

In 1993, banknotes of 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 dram were issued. Notes for 1000 and 5000 dram were put into circulation on October 24, 1994 and September 1995, respectively. In 1999, a 20,000 dram note was issued, whilst a commemorative 50,000 dram note was issued in 2001 to observe the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity in Armenia. 10,000 dram notes were introduced in 2003.

Banknotes currently in circulation ^[2] are

• 1000 dram
• 5000 dram
• 10,000 dram
• 20,000 dram
• 50,000 dram
• 100,000 dram

In addition, the following banknotes are no longer legal tender (since April 1, 2004) but may be exchanged at banks: 10, 25, 50 and 100 drams. The 1993 500-dram banknote has also ceased to be legal tender since September 1, 2005, but there is a 1999 500-dram banknote that is still in circulation. ^[3]

Banknotes of 1993-1995 series (out of circulation)[link]

The banknotes issued in 1993-1995 were put out of circulation after 2005.

Obverse	Reverse	Value	Main colour	Obverse description	Reverse description
		10 Dram	Brown/Purple	Yerevan Central Train Station and David of Sasun statue	Mount Ararat
		25 Dram	Yellow/Brown/Blue	Urartian cuneiform tablet and a lion relief from Erebuni fortress	Ornaments
		50 Dram	Blue/Red	National Gallery and History Museum of Armenia	Armenian parliament building
		100 Dram	Blue/Purple/Red	Mount Ararat and Zvartnots Cathedral	Armenian Opera Theater
		200 Dram	Brown/Green/Yellow/Red	St. Hripsime Church in Echmiadzin	Ornaments
		500 Dram	Green/Brown/Blue	Mount Ararat and a Tigran the Great tetradrachm	Ornaments
		1000 Dram	Brown/Orange	Mesrop Mashtots statue and Matenadaran	7th century obelisk monument from Ani
		5000 Dram	Green/Yellow/Purple	Garni temple	Bronze head of goddess Anahit kept in the British Museum

Banknotes of 1998 series[link]

The banknotes of 50, 100 and 500 dram are currently put out of circulation and replaced by coins with respective values. The banknote of 50,000 dram was issued in 2001 in commemoration of 1700 years of Christianity in Armenia.

Obverse	Reverse	Value	Main colour	Obverse description	Reverse description
		50 Dram	Pink/Blue/Grey	Aram Khachaturian	A scene from ballet Gayane composed by A. Khachaturian, and Mount Ararat
		100 Dram	Blue/Grey	Viktor Amazaspovich Ambartsumian	Byurakan Observatory
		500 Dram	Grey	Alexander Tamanyan	Government House in Yerevan designed by Al. Tamanyan
		1000 Dram	Green/Pink	Yeghishe Charents	An image of old Yerevan
		5000 Dram	Yellow/Green	Hovhannes Tumanyan	Nature of Lori from Martiros Saryan's paintings
		10,000 Dram	Purple	Avetik Isahakyan	An image of old Gyumri
		20,000 Dram	Yellow/Red/Brown	Martiros Saryan	Episode from Martiros Saryan's Armenia landscape
		50,000 Dram	Brown/Red	Etchmiadzin Cathedral	St. Gregory the Illuminator and king Tiridates the Great lift up the Armenian Church[disambiguation needed ]; on the right - a khachkar from Kecharis Monastery.
		100,000 dram	Blue/Brown	Abgar V of Edessa	In the center St. Thaddeus transfers the painting of Jesus Christ (painted alive) to Abgar V of Edessa. [4]

Money supply[link]

Currency in circulation has shown steady growth since first issue in 1993.^[5]

Note: Rates obtained from these websites may be slightly different from the rates the Central Bank of Armenia publishes

See also[link]

• Armenian dram sign
• Economy of Armenia

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Money of Armenia

• Armemian Dram Sign History, shape, and promotion of Armenian Dram Sign
• Coin Types from Armenia Lists, pictures, and values of Armenian coin types
• Exchange rates against Armenian Dram and detailed history
• LIVE Detailed Armenian Dram Exchange Rates: AMD

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Vardan Petrosyan (born February 27, 1959; Armenian: Վարդան Պետրոսյան; French: Vartan Petrossian) is an Armenian actor, scriptwriter, and parodist.^[1]

Biography[link]

Vardan Petrosyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia (then Soviet Union). His childhood passed in his father’s yard, in Khanjyan Street, near the small Getar river. That area was called "Turki mayla", because many Turkish houses located there. Although his father was a scientist, his family was poor. Petrosyan studied in the Terlemezian Art College. When he was 22 years old his father died. In 1985-1986 Vardan Petrosyan and Vahram Sahakian established their own theatre studio called "Hedgehogs". He moved to France in 1992, when he was 33 years old. He studied in private language schools in Paris. Now he lives there, but still among other locations regularly performs in Yerevan.

Performances and filmography[link]

References[link]

• Armenianow.com - Վարդան Պետրոսյան

Serzh Sargsyan Սերժ Սարգսյան
President of Armenia
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 April 2008
Prime Minister	Tigran Sargsyan
Preceded by	Robert Kocharyan
Prime Minister of Armenia
In office 26 March 2007 – 9 April 2008
President	Robert Kocharyan
Preceded by	Andranik Margaryan
Succeeded by	Tigran Sargsyan
Personal details
Born	(1954-06-30) 30 June 1954 (age 57) Stepanakert, Soviet Union (now Nagorno-Karabakh)
Political party	Republican Party
Spouse(s)	Rita Sargsyan
Children	Anush Satenik
Alma mater	Yerevan State University
Signature

Serzh Azati Sargsyan (Armenian: Սերժ Ազատի Սարգսյան, born June 30, 1954^[1]) is the third President of Armenia. He won the February 2008 presidential election with the backing of the conservative Republican Party of Armenia, a party in which he serves as chairman,^[2] and took office in April 2008.^[3]

Personal life[link]

Serzh Sargsyan was born on June 30, 1954 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR. He was admitted to Yerevan State University in 1971, served in the Soviet Armed Forces during 1971-72, and graduated from the Philological Department of Yerevan State University in 1979. In 1983, he married his wife, Rita. They have two daughters, Anush and Satenik, and one granddaughter, Mariam.^[1] He is the chairman of the Chess Federation of Armenia. In addition to his native Armenian, he is fluent also in Russian.^[4] He is of no relation to the current Prime Minister of Armenia, Tigran Sargsyan.

Early career[link]

Sargsyan's career began in 1975 at the Electrical Devices Factory in Yerevan,^[5] where he worked as a metal turner until 1979 when he became head of the Stepanakert City Communist Party Youth Association Committee. Then served as second secretary, first secretary, the Stepanakert City Committee Propaganda Division Head, the Nagorno-Karabakh Regional Committee Communist Organizations' Unit Instructor, and finally as the assistant to Genrikh Poghosyan, the First Secretary of the Nagorno-Karabakh Regional Committee.^[1]

As tensions rose over Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, Sargsyan became chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Self-Defense Forces Committee and was subsequently elected to the Supreme Council of Armenia in 1990.^[5] He organized several battles in the Nagorno-Karabakh War^{[citation needed]} and is considered to be one of the founders of Nagorno-Karabakh's and Armenia's armed forces. He became the Armenian defense minister in 1993, head of Armenian state security department in 1995 and minister of national security in 1996. In 1999, he became Robert Kocharyan's chief of staff, then secretary of the national security council, defense minister, and prime minister in 2007.^[1]