At the beginning of this year, the chairman of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, Mamarizo Nurmuratov, said that the new 200,000-som bank notes could be put into circulation by 2024.

However, recent problems with the shortage of cash, including U.S. dollars, and the increase in lines at ATMs has forced authorities to speed up the release process, with the note introduced into circulation in mid-July.

The country now has 12 denominations of notes in circulation. The 200,000-som note is worth about $18.39 and is double the value of the bank’s previous highest denomination, a 100,000-som note introduced in 2019.

Uzbekistan has been removing smaller denominations from circulation and introducing higher ones. After the 1- to 500-som denominations were recalled, the lowest value note is now the 1,000-som note.

The theme of the 152- by 69-millimeter, mostly turquoise 200,000-som note is the Great Silk Road and the ancient history of the ethnically diverse Fergana Valley. This is a region of former Soviet republics that extends into southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan and has been a scene of border conflicts and ethnic tension as recently as 2010.

On the left side of the note is an architectural monument Xudoyorxon O‘Rdasi, located in the city of Kokand, Fergana. On the right is a watermark in the form of a camel in symbol of the Great Silk Road and the denomination as 200000. Also on the right side is a micro-optical machine-readable security thread 4 millimeters wide. blue, with “dynamic effect” and “UZB” text. The paper is coated with a special varnish.

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