Opening of the banknote printing factory and a brief history of 'tenge'

1993, in Kazakhstan, on the basis of the Gidromash plant, the first banknote printing factory is being opened. The national currency was introduced in the country two years earlier. It was called «tenge», by analogy with the medieval Turkic small silver coins «denge» or «tanga», from which the word «dengi» - «money» has supposedly derived. The first banknotes in denominations of «1», «3», «5», «10», «20» and «50»  tenge were issued at British enterprises, and small change coins were minted in Germany. However, almost immediately it became clear that printing and minting national currency abroad was economically disadvantageous for Kazakhstan. And the construction of banknote printing factory has started in Almaty.