First Cosmonaut (cupronickel)

The 50 tenge coin "First Cosmonaut" is part of the space-themed collector issues of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The "First Cosmonaut" coin was issued for the 50th anniversary of the space flight of Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin. He was born on March 9, 1934, in the village of Klushino, Smolensk Oblast, graduated from the Orenburg Aviation School, and in 1960 joined the first cosmonaut group. On the morning of April 12, 1961, the Vostok rocket launched from Baikonur. Gagarin's call sign was "Cedar", and before launch he uttered a brief "Let's go!", which became a catchphrase. During the 108-minute flight, the spacecraft completed an orbit around the planet, and the cosmonaut landed in Saratov Oblast.

After the flight, Gagarin became the most famous person on the planet: he visited dozens of countries, headed the cosmonaut corps, and prepared for new flights. In 1968, he died during a training flight on a MiG-15UTI aircraft. For Kazakhstan, the name of the first cosmonaut is inextricably linked with Baikonur: the "Gagarin's Start" pad is preserved there, from which both Sputnik and Vostok-1 were launched. The gold signature, rocket, and spacesuit on the coin remind us that the road to space began right here.

Obverse

The official side of the coin bears the state designations. Around the circumference are inscriptions: at the top "ҚАЗАҚСТАН РЕСПУБЛИКАСЫ" in Kazakh, at the bottom "REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN" in English. To the right of the center is the face value: the number "50" and below it the word "ТЕҢГЕ" — fifty tenge. The central field continues the space theme: a vertical line divides it into two parts, showing on one side a starry sky with orbits and stars, and on the other a full-length silhouette of a person against the background of a spiral galaxy, with small dots scattered in the upper part. This composition is uniform for all coins in the series, making it easy to recognize the issue and distinguish it from standard circulation coins.

The unity of the design on the official side emphasizes that we are looking at parts of a common thematic project: the artwork on the artistic side changes, while the state portion remains recognizable. The strict placement of inscriptions along the arc and the clear relief of the digits ensure the readability of the face value, while the mint mark indicates the place of striking. The contrast between the smooth field and relief elements maintains the expressiveness of the composition under any lighting. This side serves simultaneously as a document of the coin and part of its design, which is why it is as important in a collection as the artistic side.

Reverse

The central place on the artistic side is occupied by a relief portrait of Yuri Gagarin in a spacesuit helmet with the inscription "СССР". The head is slightly turned to the right, and a facsimile of the cosmonaut's autograph is placed below the portrait. To the left, the Vostok launch vehicle is depicted vertically, and in the upper part is a spacecraft leaving a trail behind it. The field is filled with a starry sky made of dots and stars of various shapes.

The inscriptions are made in two languages: "ПЕРВЫЙ КОСМОНАВТ" in Russian, "ТҰҢҒЫШ ҒАРЫШКЕР" in Kazakh, and along the left edge vertically stand the dates "1961-2011". The smooth mirror surface around the portrait accentuates the relief, and the wide dark rim creates an effect of depth. The coin reads like a portrait miniature dedicated to a man whose name is known all over the world.