Obverse. Photo © Coinsberg.com
  • 500 Afghanis 1996, KM# 1029, Afghanistan, The World of Adventure, Charles Lindbergh
  • 500 Afghanis 1996, KM# 1029, Afghanistan, The World of Adventure, Charles Lindbergh
Description

Charles Augustus Lindbergh (1902–1974) was an American aviator and military officer renowned for his groundbreaking solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris on May 20-21, 1927. Flying the Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh covered 3,600 miles in 33.5 hours, earning the Orteig Prize and international fame. This historic flight revolutionized aviation, fostering global interest in commercial air travel and air mail.

For his transatlantic flight, he received numerous accolades, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Medal of Honor, and France's Legion of Honor. Lindbergh's achievements sparked the "Lindbergh boom" in aviation. Despite his controversial non-interventionist views before World War II, he supported the war effort after Pearl Harbor, flying combat missions as a civilian. Later, he became a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and environmentalist.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan was established by the Peshawar Accords on April 26, 1992, with the participation of many Afghan mujahideen parties after the fall of the socialist government. However, its power was limited due to the country's second civil war, which the Taliban won, capturing Kabul in 1996. Consequently, the Islamic State became a government in exile and led the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance. It remained the internationally recognized government of Afghanistan at the United Nations until 2001. After the overthrow of the first Taliban government, the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan was created, and an Afghan Interim Administration took control with US and NATO assistance. This transitional state later became the Islamic Republic, which lasted until the Taliban regained power in 2021 following a prolonged insurgency.

Obverse

Depicts the coat of arms of the Islamic State of Afghanistan within two crossed swords the country name above and the denomination below in English.

The Emblem of the Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992-1996) features the shahada inscription in Arabic at the top. Below this is an image of a mosque with a mihrab and minbar (pulpit). On either side of the mosque are two flags representing Afghanistan, surrounded by wheat sheaves. Beneath the mosque, there is an inscription stating the name of the nation, and below that, the Hijri year 1371 (corresponding to 1992 in the Gregorian calendar), marking the establishment of the Islamic State of Afghanistan.

ISLAMIC STATE OF AFGHANISTAN
لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله
الله اكبر
۱۳٧۱
د افغانستان اسلامي دولت
500
AFGHANIS

Reverse

Depicts a colored Spirit of St. Louis plane in front of the Statue of Liberty with a bust of Charles Lindbergh in an oval shape enclosed by an inscription above and his name below.

The Spirit of St. Louis (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that was flown by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight from Long Island, New York, to Paris, France, for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize.

THE WORLD OF ADVENTURE
1996
CHARLES LINDBERGH

Edge

500 Afghanis

Islamic State
KM# 1029 Schön# 138
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.925
Weight 30 g
Diameter 34.5 mm
Thickness 2.5 mm
Shape round
Alignment Coin

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Islamic State, Piedfort, Charles Lindbergh

The World of Adventure

Silver