SBV to auction 600 tonnes of coins

The starting price is expected to be two million US dollars, not including VAT and the cost of delivery. Metal money started to be used at the end of 2003, as a way to pay for commodities such as at vending machines and tickets for trains and buses. However, the use of metal money declined in the following years as the coins were not durable, too small, and hard to carry. In April 2011, the State Bank stopped issuing coins, but they remain a legal form of payment.