Azerbaijan manat Explained

Ashly Chole Senior Finance Researcher

Last Updated 10 May 2025

Azerbaijan Manat

Up until the 1900s, when banknotes took their place, the manat was still produced. In Azerbaijan, the manat, which is divisible into 100 gapiks, is the unit of currency. The Central Bank of Azerbaijan, which also regulates the flow of foreign currencies within Azerbaijan, is the source of manat issuance. With a GDP growth rate of 7% on average annually, Azerbaijan's economy is expanding quickly. In particular, oil and gas are abundant among the nation's natural resources. Its known gas reserves are second in size, and its fourth-largest oil reserves are both in this country. In addition to having one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, Azerbaijan is a country that is wealthy in oil. Since the economy has been expanding steadily at a pace of roughly 7% annually, it is anticipated that this trend will last for a very long time.

Azeri gold coins

Compared to other currencies and the weights of precious metals, the Azerbaijani manat is used as the primary unit of value in Azerbaijan. Since they were made of copper alloyed with gold, silver, or copper (often 95%) when the Azeri gold coins were struck, they were known as Kazakhs. Throughout this time, a wide variety of coins in addition to these ones may be found. 'Agbala' was the name given to the silver coins that were used as early manats. A new silver coin known as the 'shir-i-khan' was first issued in the latter half of the 16th century. The Russian rouble, which is equal to 68 shir-i-khans, superseded this weight of 4.5 grams at that time.

The Manat in 1993

The 1993 introduction of the manat marked the end of the Soviet ruble as the official currency of Azerbaijan. Money-related words 'manatina' or 'manatiya' are the origin of the term 'manat.' Over a thousand years have passed since manat was first used. Over antiquity, it has taken on many different shapes and values, but the majority have been fashioned from silver or gold coins with various patterns depending on where they were coined (for example, ancient Rome). Unlike today's currencies, which tend to be more specialized within specific regions rather than across entire continents as they were before modern times arrived upon us all together here today, when everything was once again unified under one banner instead of being divided up among multiple competing factions fighting over resources like land ownership rights, etc., these coins were not just limited to any one country during that time period in Europe; they were also not just limited to any one country like today's currencies tend to be.

Aghbala is a silver coin

Silver coins known as 'Aghbalas' have been in circulation since ancient times. There were several attempts to produce new coins that had values comparable to the old ones, but they were unsuccessful due to their light weight as compared to coins produced previously under Arab dominion over the area of Azerbaijan now known as Dagestan and Chechnya (both parts of modern Russia). Iranian leader Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar tried to enact his own money. The economy of Azerbaijan, which had previously been influenced by Russia, was seen as being under Iranian control as a result of this initiative.

As a result, Azerbaijanis started circulating their own coins that were equal in value to the new Iranian coins while simultaneously refusing to recognize the new Iranian money. This led to an uprising against Iran, which lasted until 1828, when the Russians stepped in to support Qajar power in Azerbaijan. Baku was once again under Qajar rule in 1828 when Iranian and Russian forces invaded the city. Elisabethpol, the city that would later become the capital of Russian Azerbaijan, grew into a significant hub for trade in products coming from Iran, Russia, and Europe.

The National Bank of Azerbaijan

Up until 1828, when banknotes began to take their place, gold coins were produced. The manat, Azerbaijan's official currency, is printed by the National Bank of Azerbaijan, which serves as the country's central bank (AZN). Its offices are spread all around the nation, but Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is where its headquarters are. The bank operates a foreign exchange office in New York City, where it transacts transactions with banks in China, Europe, Russia, and other nations for the conversion of US dollars into AZNs. A central repository for gold and precious metals deposits, as well as accounts in foreign currencies, is also provided by the bank.

The Shah's last years

The Shah's last years saw significant social inequities as a result of his inability to pay his troops and government personnel in cash. Many people began to look at alternate means of accumulating money as a result of this lack of trust. He received loans from nations like Turkey and Iran in an effort to improve his financial circumstances, but this did not assist him because they were also unable to repay their loans. Moreover, it has locations in Frankfurt, Moscow, and London. The National Bank of Azerbaijan issues coins with the values of 1 qepik (1/100) and 2 qepiks (1/50), as well as banknotes with the values of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 500 manat. The issue of copper and paper money in Azerbaijan is handled by the bank. The manat, the country's currency, is subject to regulation as well. In 1992, after achieving independence from the Soviet Union, the National Bank of Azerbaijan was founded.