202 - Centenary of Sardarapat battle - 1,000 dram 2018

The heroic battle of Sardarapat took place in 21-29 May, 1918. The victory over the Turkish army that had invaded Eastern Armenia was achieved due to the heroic struggle of regular Armenian military units under a skilled leadership of Armenian commanders (Tovmas Nazarbekyan, Movses Silikyan, Aram Manukyan, Daniel Bek-Pirumyan and Poghos Bek-Pirumyan, and others) and voluntary military forces.
The battle of Sardarapat revealed Armenian military traditions in a best way. Representatives of all strata of the Armenian society – village inhabitants, intellectuals, clergymen and craftsmen – took part in the battle.
The battle of Sardarapat is one of the remarkable pages in the history of the Armenians’ struggle for independence. The victory secured the deliverance of a part of Eastern Armenia from the Turkish invasion, and this was an opportunity to restore the Armenian statehood. On May 28, 1918, after a long-year time interval, Armenia was proclaimed an independent statehood that gave birth to the Republic of Armenia.
In 1968, in commemoration of the victory in the Sardarapat battle, a memorial was erected on the battlefield (architect: R. Israelyan).

Obverse: a bell tower of the memorial to the Sardarapat heroic battle against the background of the battle map.
Reverse: a sculptural image of an eagle from the path of the memorial to the Sardarapat heroic battle.

Designed by Harutyun Samuelian.
Minted in the Lithuanian Mint.

Denomination: 1,000 dram
Metal: Silver 925
Weight: 33.6g
Diameter: 40mm
Mintage: 500 pcs.
Edge: Reeded
Strike quality: Proof