10 afghanis 1973 specimen

common

This note was issued during the Afghan Republic period (1973-1978) following Muhammad Daud's coup d'état that replaced the monarchy. The imagery reflects the nationalist pride of the era: the portrait of President Daud emphasizes secular governance, while the Qila-e-Bost arch—a significant historical fortress in Helmand Province—represents Afghanistan's rich architectural and cultural heritage. The bilingual design (Dari/Persian and English) and modern styling reflect Afghanistan's efforts to position itself as a contemporary nation during this transitional political period.

The obverse features a formally dressed male portrait of President Muhammad Daud Khan shown in left profile, characteristic of mid-20th century state portraiture. He is depicted wearing a suit and tie, with the portrait serving as the primary security watermark element. The reverse displays the Arch of Qila-e-Bost (also known as Qila-i-Bost), a monumental Islamic fortress structure located in Lashkargah, Helmand Province, rendered within an ornate oval vignette. Both sides employ intricate fine-line engraving with geometric and floral border patterns in green and gold. The multicolored underprint includes beige, purple, and pink tones, with the red 'SPECIMEN' overprint displayed diagonally across both sides.

FRONT SIDE: 'داراني شاهی افغانستان' (Dari/Persian: 'Dari of Royal Afghanistan' or 'Islamic Republic of Afghanistan'), '10' (English numerals), 'AFGHANIS' (English denomination), 'SPECIMEN' (English overprint). BACK SIDE: 'داراني شاهی افغانستان' (Dari/Persian: same as front), '10' (English numerals), 'AFGHANIS' (English denomination), 'SPECIMEN' (English overprint). Additional Dari inscriptions including 'الف' (thousand) appear on the front.

Intaglio (line engraving) printing, evidenced by the fine detailed line work, intricate border patterns, and the precise engraved portrait and architectural vignette. The security features including the watermark integration and fine-line background patterns are characteristic of high-security intaglio production. The two circular punch holes are specimen marking perforations typical of central bank specimen notes. This note was likely produced by a European security printer specializing in banknote production, though the specific printer attribution for Da Afghanistan Bank's 1973 issues is not definitively established in available documentation.

This note is catalogued as Pick P-47s (the 's' suffix denotes 'specimen'). The PMG Population Report confirms two variants exist for this base Pick number: P-47c (regular circulation issue) and P-47s (specimen). The specimen variety is distinguished by the red 'SPECIMEN' overprint and the two circular punch holes, which are standard specimen markings. The SH 1352 date (Islamic calendar, equivalent to 1973 CE) is consistent with the documented issue period of SH 1352-1356 (1973-1977) for this denomination.