10 MKD #317

Front

Mosaic peacock from the ancient city of Stobi in North Macedonia, a Roman and early Christian archaeological site near Gradsko. The peacock mosaic dates from the 4th-5th century CE and is one of the most celebrated examples of late Roman decorative art in the region, representing the rich cultural heritage of ancient Macedonia. The mosaic tessellation technique is rendered in blue, gold, and earth tones, with a grapevine motif symbolizing prosperity and the region's historical viticulture.

Back

Angonoka tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora), also known as the ploughshare tortoise, one of the world's rarest tortoise species endemic to Madagascar. This critically endangered species is depicted on the banknote due to the Republic of Macedonia's numismatic series featuring global endangered wildlife alongside national cultural heritage. The text on the back is in Malagasy and French, reading 'BANKY FOIBEN'I MADAGASIKARA' and includes anti-counterfeiting warnings.

History

This is the first series of the Macedonian denar (MKD), introduced in 1992 after independence from Yugoslavia but redesigned in 1996 with improved security features. The 10 denar note from this series was issued 1996–2003 and features the famous peacock mosaic from Stobi, an important archaeological site that flourished under Roman rule and early Christianity. The reverse depicts the critically endangered Angonoka tortoise from Madagascar—an unusual choice reflecting the series' theme of pairing Macedonian cultural heritage with global conservation awareness. The note was withdrawn and replaced by the second denar series beginning in 2003. The text 'ДЕСЕТ ДЕНАРИ' (deset denari) means 'ten denars' in Macedonian Cyrillic.