SPUTNIK FIRST SPACE SATELLITE Silver Tantalum Coin 500 Tenge Kazakhstan 2007

The reverse side of the coin features the image of the first space satellite of the Earth. Sputnik is a Russian word which means 'traveling companion' or 'satellite'. The launch of Sputnik marked the beginning of the Space Age, an era of space exploration. Along the rim of the coin there is the legend "The First Space Satellite of the Earth" both in Kazakh and English. The lower part of the coin includes the inscriptions indicating the year of the first satellite's launch and the coin's mintage year. The lateral surface of the coin is grooved. On the obverse of the coin made of tantalum (the inner disc) and silver (the external ring) there is a semiabstract composition symbolizing the unity of a man and the universe and the connection of the past and present. There is also the inscription of the coin's face value as well as the legends "Ag 925 " and "14,6 gr.", "Ta, 38,61 gr" indicating the designation of metal, its fineness and the coin's pure weight. The lower part of the coin includes the trademark of Kazakhstan Mint of the National Bank of Kazakhstan. Along the rim of the coin there is the legend "Republic of Kazakhstan" both in Kazakh and English.