Armenian national currency – Dram – marks the 20th anniversary November 22. In 2013, the Central Bank of Armenia issued a commemorative silver coin dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the national currency.

The Central Bank of Armenia has issued series of silver, gold, copper-nickel alloy coins since 1994.

Investment or ingot coins refer to a special group of coins minted of precious metals: gold, silver, platinum or palladium. Their mintage is a simple process and, unlike, commemorative coins, they lack semi-precious and precious stones, colorful enamel or special wrapping. In many countries, transactions with investment coins are VAT-exempt, what makes them attractive for the population. The cost is calculated on the basis of everyday price quotation of precious metals.

After the announcement of Armenian national currency, bank notes and coins (including commemorative coins) were issued. Bank notes with the value from 10 to 500 Drams were put into circulation on November 22, 1993. Later, in 1994, a bank note with the value of 1000 drams was issued, followed by the edition of 5000-dram bank note in 1995.

The Central Bank of Armenia, chaired by Isahak Isahakyan, was formed on March 27, 1993. However, Soviet rubles had been circulating in Armenia up until November 22, 1993 when the state currency – dram - was released, with an exchange rate of 200 rubles to 1 AMD established.

68 types of commemorative coins were minted during the period between 1965 and 1991 out of copper-nickel alloy. 3 of them - Earthquake, Matenadaran and David of Sassoun - were dedicated to Armenia.

With formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1924, the government orders to exchange all types of currency in circulation for USSR bank notes. At that time, these were bank notes with the value of 1, 3, 5, 10 and 25 chervontsy (chervonets – a ten-ruble bank note) and gold coin, also called chervonets, thus making a two-chervonets currency system: the gold-based and soviet, which were devaluating.

In 1922, the Federation of Socialist Soviet Republics of Transcaucasia (FSSRT) was formed to include Soviet Socialist Republics of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, with a relevant treaty signed March 12, 1922 in Tiflis (Tbilisi).

The first branch of the State Bank of the Russian Empire was established in Yerevan in 1893. After the October Revolution in 1917, Transcaucasia, consisting of the Elisabethpol, Erivan and Tiflis Governorates populated by Armenians, Georgians and Caucasian Turks seceded from Russia and transformed into a unified independent Transcaucasian Commissariat, with the center in Tiflis.

In 996 by Muslim calendar (1588 AD), Karabakh and the surrounding territories belonging to Ottomans fell under the sway of Persian rulers. In the second half of the 18th century the Persian power weakened and half-independent khanates of Karabakh, Shirvan, Sheki, Ganja and others were established. Panah Ali Khan conquered the fortress of Shosh village and declared himself the Khan of Karabakh.