Obverse. Photo © Dilmark's
  • 500 Afghanis 2000, KM# 1042, Afghanistan, World Wide Fund for Nature, Snow Leopard
  • 500 Afghanis 2000, KM# 1042, Afghanistan, World Wide Fund for Nature, Snow Leopard
Description

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States. WWF is the world's largest conservation organization, with over five million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries and supporting around 3,000 conservation and environmental projects. They have invested over $1 billion in more than 12,000 conservation initiatives since 1995. WWF is a foundation with 65% of funding from individuals and bequests, 17% from government sources (such as the World Bank, DFID, and USAID) and 8% from corporations in 2020.

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 snow leopard lying down with mountains in background, the date at right surrounded by its name in English above and Latin below.

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia), sometimes referred to as the ounce, is a large cat species in the Panthera genus of the Felidae family. Native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia, it is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to a global population of fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, expected to decline by about 10% by 2040. Its main threats include poaching and habitat destruction from infrastructure development. Found in alpine and subalpine zones at elevations of 3,000–4,500 m (9,800–14,800 ft), its range spans from eastern Afghanistan, the Himalayas, and the Tibetan Plateau to southern Siberia, Mongolia, and western China, with some populations also inhabiting lower elevations in the northern part of its range.

- SNOWLEOPARD -
2000
- IRBIS UNCIA UNCIA -

Edge

500 Afghanis

Islamic State
KM# 1042
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.999
Weight 15 g
Diameter 35 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Coin

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