Armenian Currency

The Armenian dram (AMD) became the official currency of the Republic of Armenia on November 22, 1993, succeeding the Soviet ruble. Subdivided into 100 luma, the dram's name, meaning "money," links to the Greek drachma, Arabic dirham, and English dram. The Central Bank of Armenia manages dram issuance, circulation, and monetary policy. As of January 13, 2024, 1 US dollar equals 404.42 Armenian dram. Banknotes are available in denominations of 1,000 to 100,000 AMD, and coins come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 AMD .

1000 AMD (obverse and reverse sides)

A national referendum on September 21, 1991, declared Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union, granting the Central Bank of Armenia the exclusive right to issue the national currency, established on March 27, 1993.

100,000 AMD (obverse and reverse sides)

The Armenian dram sign, symbolized by ֏, divides into 100 luma. The word dram means “money” and is cognate with the Greek drachma and the Arabic dirham, as well as the English weight unit dram.

Armenian banknotes have been issued in three series. The first series was introduced in November 1993 and was withdrawn from circulation during 2004–2005. The second series was introduced in 1998 and expanded over the following years. Most second-series banknotes were withdrawn from circulation on April 15, 2026, although the 50,000 and 100,000 dram notes remain legal tender as of 2026. The third series was introduced in 2018, introducing a new 2,000 dram denomination and comprising 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 dram banknotes. The third series does not include 50, 100, 500 or 100,000 dram banknotes.

Central Bank periodically issues commemorative banknotes to mark particular events. A commemorative ֏50,000 note was issued on 4 June 2001 in commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity in Armenia. A 500 dram commemorative note was issued on 22 November 2017 to commemorate the story of Noah's Ark. And to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Armenia's national currency.

500 dram commemorative note (obverse and reverse sides)

10000 AMD (obverse and reverse sides)

Important note, especially for foreigners planning to visit Armenia!

The 1,000 AMD and 10,000 AMD banknotes have similar colors and a somewhat similar design, making them easy to mix up. It is possible to accidentally hand over a 10,000 AMD note instead of a 1,000 AMD note. Even locals sometimes make this mistake, so be careful when handling these banknotes!