The sum (ISO code: UZS) is the official currency of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The Government replaced the Soviet Ruble with the Sum at par on 16 July 1994. No subdivisions of this Sum were initially issued and only banknotes were produced in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 Sum. Further series, however, have introduced coins and a subunit, the tiyin. Because it was meant to be a transitional currency, the original design used during the first years of the Republic was rather simplistic.
Etymology The official name of the Soviet currency in the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek languages was the som, and this name appeared written on the back of banknotes, among the texts for the value of the note in all 15 official languages of the USSR. This word translates as 'pure' in several Turkic languages, and is derived from the Proto-Turkic *som, meaning 'pure' or 'solid'. The word implies pure silver or gold.
First sum History Like other republics of the former Soviet Union, Uzbekistan continued using the Soviet/Russian ruble after independence. On 26 July 1993, a new series of Russian ruble was issued and the old Soviet/Russian ruble ceased to be legal tender in Russia. Some successor states had their national currencies before the change, some chose to continue using the pre-1993 Soviet/Russian ruble, and some chose to use both the pre-1993 and the new Russian ruble. Tables of modern monetary history: Asia implies that both old and new rubles were used in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan replaced the ruble with the sum at par in on 15 November 1993. No subdivisions of this sum were issued and only banknotes were produced, in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 sum. Because it was meant to be a transitional currency, the design was rather simplistic. All notes had the Coat of arms on the obverse, and Sher-Dor Madrasah of the Registan in Samarkand on the reverse.
Coins No coins were issued for the first sum.
Banknotes The first banknotes were issued by the State Bank of Uzbekistan in 1993. All of the denominations share the same designs: the Coat of arms of Uzbekistan on the front and the madrasahs on Registan Square in Samarkand. Image Value Dimensions(mm) Obverse Reverse 1 sum 120×61 3 sum 5 sum 10 sum 25 sum 50 sum 144×69 100 sum 200 sum 500 sum 1,000 sum 5,000 sum 10,000 sum+
Second sum
History
On 1 July 1994, a second sum was introduced at a rate of 1 new sum = 1,000 old sum. This sum is subdivided into 100 tiyin.
Inflation Until 2013, the largest denomination of Uzbek currency was the 1,000-sum banknote, then worth US$0.60, requiring Uzbeks to carry large bundles of notes for routine transactions.
Back in 2019, a new largest denomination was issued, the 100,000-sum banknote (as of October 2019 worth US$10.55), which made the situation easier. The smallest denomination, the 1 tiyin, is worth less than of a US cent making it the "world's most worthless coin" that was still legal tender until 1 March 2020. However, coins and banknotes smaller than 50 sum are rare now.
The rampant inflation situation is considered a politically sensitive issue in Uzbekistan, which is why the Uzbek government is slow to acclimate the currency to its current value by issuing higher coin and note denominations. As a result, the current highest coin denomination in circulation is the 1000 sum while the highest banknote denomination is the 200,000 sum. Official state figures put inflation as of the first half of 2011 at 3.6%, however accurate numbers are pinned far higher. Coins and banknotes below 50 sum are practically worthless now.
As of December 2025, the annual inflation rate in Uzbekistan is 7.3%. This marks the lowest inflation rate since December 2016. The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has noted that the slowdown is primarily attributed to the stabilizing effects of the 2024 energy price liberalization.
Coins Three series of coins have been issued for the second sum. They can be easily distinguished by the script used for the Uzbek language. The first series was written in Cyrillic script, while the second and third series is written in Latin script.
First series (1994–2000) +First series coins (1994–2000) Image Value Technical parameters Description Date of Diameter Mass Composition Edge Obverse Reverse minting issue withdrawal lapse 1 tiyin 16,9 mm 1,75 g Brass-clad steel Smooth Coat of arms with 12 starsState title Value, year of minting 1994 July 1994 1 March 2020 1 January 2021 3 tiyin 19,9 mm 2,7 g Reeded 5 tiyin 17 mm 1,8 g 10 tiyin 18,7 mm 2,85 g Nickel-clad steel 20 tiyin 22 mm 4 g Inscription: “ЙИГИРМА ТИЙИН ЙИГИРМА ТИЙИН” 50 tiyin 23,9 mm 4,8 g Inscription: “ЭЛЛИК ТИЙИН * ЭЛЛИК ТИЙИН * ЭЛЛИК ТИЙИН” 1 sum 19,8 mm 2,72 gSmooth 1997, 1998, 1999 1997 5 sum 22,2 mm 4 g 10 sum 24 mm 4,7 g 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Second series (2000–2004) Second Series Image Value Technical parameters Description Date of minting Withdrawal Diameter Mass Composition Edge Obverse Reverse 1 sum 18.4 mm 2.83 g Stainless steel Reeded Coat of arms without starsBank title, year of minting Value, map of Uzbekistan 2000 1 March 2020 5 sum 21.2 mm 3.35 g Brass-clad steel Plain Coat of arms without starsBank title, year of minting Value, map of Uzbekistan 2001 1 March 2020 10 sum 19.75 mm 2.71 g Nickel-clad steel Plain Coat of arms without starsBank title, year of minting Value, map of Uzbekistan 2001 1 March 2020 50 sum 26.1 mm 8 g Plain and reeded sections Coat of arms without starsBank title, year of minting Value, map of Uzbekistan 2001 1 July 2019 50 sum 26.1 mm 7.9 g Value, statue and ruin of Shahrisabz 2002 1 July 2019 100 sum 26.9 mm 7.9 g Nickel-plated steelInscriptionCoat of arms without starsBank title, year of minting Value, map of Uzbekistan, sunrays 2004 1 July 2019
Third series (2018–2022) In May 2018 the introduction of new coins valued 50, 100, 200 and 500 sum was announced. All previously issued banknotes and coins of those denominations were to be withdrawn from circulation by 1 July 2020. In December 2022, the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan introduced a 1,000 sum coin into circulation, notable as it is the first bi-metallic coin issued for circulation since the introduction of the Uzbek sum in 1994.
Third series (2018) Image Value Technical parameters Description Date of Diameter Mass Composition Edge Obverse Reverse minting issue withdrawal lapse 50 sum 18.0 mm 2.0g Nickel-plated steel Plain Denomination National emblem of Uzbekistan, year of minting 2018 2 July 2018 Current 100 sum 20.0 mm 2.5 g Independence and Goodness monument, Tashkent 200 sum 22.0 mm 3.3 g Detail of a tiger mosaic on the Sher-Dor Madrasah at the Registan in Samarkand 500 sum 24.0 mm 3.9 g Palace of Conventions (Anjumanlar Saroyi) in Tashkent
Third series (2022) Image Value Technical parameters Description Date of Diameter Mass Composition Edge Obverse Reverse minting issue withdrawal lapse 1,000 sum 26.27 mm 7.3 g Brass-plated copper center in a nickel ring Plain Center of Islamic Civilization (Islom Sivilzatsiyasi Markazi) in Tashkent National emblem of Uzbekistan, year of minting 2022 26 December 2022 Current
Banknotes The second and current series, issued by the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan, was released in 1994 in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 sum. A 200 sum banknote was issued in 1997, the 500 sum in 1999, the 1,000 sum in 2001, the 5,000 sum in 2013, the 10,000 sum on 10 March 2017, the 50,000 sum on 22 August 2017 and the 100,000 sum on 25 February 2019. The latter four denominations feature inscriptions in Latin-based Uzbek as opposed to Uzbek Cyrillic in banknotes of 1 to 1,000 Uzbek sum. On 14 June 2021, the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan issued the 2,000 and 20,000 sum banknotes to help bridge the gap between 1,000 and 5,000 sum as well as 10,000 and 50,000 sum. On 18 June 2021, the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan issued new 5,000 and 10,000 sum banknotes, utilizing the design templates of the 2,000 and 20,000 sum banknotes. In that same year, the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan issued new 50,000 and 100,000 sum banknotes as part of a new series of banknotes first introduced with the 2,000 and 20,000 sum banknotes. An entirely new 200,000 sum banknote was issued on 15 July 2022.
1994-2019 Series Image Value Main Colour Description Date of printing Date of first issue withdrawal Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse 1 sum Green and pink National emblem of Uzbekistan Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theater in Tashkent 1994 1 July 1994 1 March 2020 3 sum Red and green Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum in Bukhara 5 sum Blue and orange National emblem of Uzbekistan and Islamic pattern Alisher Navoi Monument in Tashkent 10 sum Purple and blue Gur-e Amir in Samarkand 25 sum Blue and pink Shah-i-Zinda Complex in Samarkand 50 sum Brown and orange The three Madrasahs of the Registan in Samarkand 1 July 2019 100 sum Purple and blue Palace of Friendship of Peoples in Tashkent 200 sum Green and some blue National emblem of Uzbekistan Detail of a tiger mosaic (Shir o Khorshid) on the Sherdor Madrasah at the Registan in Samarkand 1997 1 March 1997 1 July 2020 500 sum Red and some green Statue of Amir Temur (Tamerlane) in Tashkent 1999 1 June 2000 1,000 sum Grey Amir Timur Museum in Tashkent 2001 1 September 2001 Current 5,000 sum Green National Assembly (Oliy Majlis) in Tashkent 2013 1 July 2013 10,000 sum Blue Senate (Senat) in Tashkent 2017 10 March 2017 50,000 sum Violet National emblem of Uzbekistan; top of the “Ezgulik” ark in Independence Square in Tashkent Palace of Conventions (Anjumanlar Saroyi) in Tashkent 22 August 2017 100,000 sum Orange and light brown National emblem of Uzbekistan; Mirzo Ulugbek; solar system Mirzo Ulugbek Observatory in Samarkand; map of Uzbekistan 2019 25 February 2019