Description

The largest prehistoric animals include both vertebrates and invertebrates, described below with their typical size ranges. Due to the incompleteness of the fossil record, these species may not be the largest of their clade, and the sizes given are often estimates as no complete specimens have been found. Body mass estimates, in particular, are speculative because soft tissues rarely fossilized. Generally, the size of extinct species was influenced by energetic and biomechanical constraints.

The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA), later renamed the Republic of Afghanistan in 1987, was the official name of Afghanistan during the one-party rule of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) from 1978 to 1992. Throughout its existence, and particularly during the Soviet–Afghan War, the DRA depended significantly on support from the Soviet Union.

Obverse

Depicts the coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, the country name in English above, the denomination below.

The emblem of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1980-1987) features a rising sun positioned over a mihrab. It incorporates communist symbols such as the star, wheel, and Karl Marx's book 'Das Kapital'. Surrounding the emblem, a wreath of ears of grain is intertwined with the national flag, symbolizing unity and prosperity.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN
500
AFGHANIS

Reverse

Depicts an Ankylosaurus in a marshland, the date below right surrounded by the inscription above and its name below.

Ankylosaurus, a genus of armored dinosaur from the very end of the Cretaceous Period (68–66 million years ago), was named by Barnum Brown in 1908. Its fossils, found in western North America, make it one of the last non-avian dinosaurs. The name means "fused lizard" due to its fused bones, which increased its strength. Measuring 6-8 meters long and weighing 4.8-8 metric tons, it had a broad body, wide skull with backward-pointing horns, and unique sideways-facing nostrils. Covered in armor plates with a tail club, it was a non-selective browser and slow-moving but capable of quick movements. Close relatives include Anodontosaurus and Euoplocephalus. Found in formations like Hell Creek and Lance, it coexisted with Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops but was rare in its environment, possibly inhabiting upland areas.

PREHISTORIC ANIMALS
Ankylosaurus
1995

Edge

500 Afghanis

Democratic Republic
KM# 1035 Schön# 128
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.999
Weight 16 g
Diameter 38 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Coin
Mint
Casa de Moneda de Cuba

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