Bremen Town Musicians (nickel silver)

Four old animals whom their masters no longer want, and a road on which they are not alone: this is how the tale of the Bremen Town Musicians begins, recorded by the Brothers Grimm and included in their Children's and Household Tales. An old donkey whom his master meant to drive from the farm leaves home and on the road meets an equally old hunting dog, a cat whose claws have grown blunt, and a rooster who was threatened with ending up in the soup. All four decide to go to Bremen and become town musicians there: the city is known for its free spirit, and each hopes to find work and a home to his liking.

They are not destined to reach Bremen, but fate turns out kinder. The forest closes in, night falls, and in the distance the animals see a lighted window. Looking in, the donkey sees a laid table and robbers dividing their loot. The animals devise a plan: to stand on one another's backs and sing. The resulting chorus of braying, barking, mewing and crowing frightens the robbers so that they run without looking back. The house goes to the musicians, and they settle down to sleep: the donkey in the yard, the dog by the door, the cat by the hearth, the rooster in the loft. When the robbers return, a meeting awaits them that they will never forget: claws, teeth, a hoof and a cry.

In this simple story several tones sound at once: jest, wisdom and consolation. To adults it recalls that one must not abandon those who have served faithfully, and to children that the weak, acting together, can win. The tale was written down in the early nineteenth century, but the core of the plot is much older: researchers find similar stories of outcast animals all over the world. In Russia the Bremen Town Musicians are also known from a famous animated film and musical retellings, and in Kazakhstan the tale is well known from both books and the stage.

The base-metal 100-tenge coin entered circulation on 11 October 2017, at the same time as the silver 500-tenge coin, and is intended for the mass collector. It was released in a quantity that makes it easy to find for those who are beginning to collect Kazakhstani coins, yet modest enough for it to remain interesting to collectors. This coin needs no certificate or box and is suitable for keeping in an album or giving to a child who likes the tale. Its relief differs somewhat in character from the silver one: the figures of the animals are shown expressively, with open mouths, as if the chorus had already reached full voice. It is worth recalling that Germans have lived in Kazakhstan since long ago, and the Grimms' tale has become the country's own: four animals united in a common cause read here as an image of good neighbourliness between peoples.

Obverse

The official side contains the State Emblem of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the shanyrak and winged horses. The denomination "100" is shown large, with the word "TENGE" beneath it. Around the circle run the inscriptions "QAZAQSTAN RESPÝBLIKASY" and "REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN", and the free field is filled with Kazakh ornament: symmetrical curls and repeating shoots form a continuous pattern.

Reverse

The story side shows a living pyramid: at the bottom stands the donkey, on him the dog, above them the cat, and at the very top the rooster. The animals' faces are modelled large and with gentle humour, their mouths open as if they were singing. The rest of the field is taken up by small background details and ornament. Along the left edge is set "BREMEN MUZYKANTTARY", along the right "DIE BREMER STADTMUSIKANTEN", and at the bottom stands the year "2017".