...eSwatini - 50 Emalangeni Hybrid Commemorative 50th Year of Central Bank of eSwatini

Umbuso weSwatini

(Kingdom of eSwatini)

 

Central Bank of eSwatini (Est.1974)

Currency - Lilangeni (SZL)

 

This is a commemorative note of 50 emalangeni released on 10.05.2024 for the celebration of 50 years of the creation of the central bank - Central Bank of eSwatini. 

The Central Bank of Swaziland was established on 01.04.1974. The bank is located in the capital city, Mbabane. On 09.11.2018, the King of eSwatini renamed the bank to the Central Bank of eSwatini. 

The design on the front for this note is similar to the previous 50 emalangeni issued but the reverse side of the note is completely new. This banknote is printed on ADDvance® Hybrid substrate.

Fifty Emalangeni

 

Signatures

Minister For Finance - Neal K. Rykenberg (tenure 2018-)

Governor - Dr Philemon F. Mnisi (tenure 2022-)

Date - 1.4.2024

Watermark - Portrait of King Mswati III

Printer - Green Banknote By Giesecke+Devrient . Germany

Dimensions - 153mm x 71mm

Front - Portrait of King Mswati III. King Mswati was crowned King of Swaziland on 25.04.1986 at the age of 18. The Kingdom of eSwatini is ruled by an absolute monarch/subnational monarchs* and is one of the only 12 remaining absolute nations in the world that is ruled by an absolute monarch. A rectangle shaped logo with rolling colour is printed in the center right.

 

Back - The design on the back is completely new. Previous design for this note depicts the central bank building. Starting from the central top is the King Mswati III International Airport with an airplane taking off. This airport was initially named Sikhuphe International Airport. Below that is the Sibebe Rock (granite mountain). The words Sibebe Rock are the only text printed on the note. The Sibebe Rock is situated about 10 km north-west of Mbabanehe and is the world's largest exposed granite pluton. The locals referred to this as the Bald Rock. To the top right is the image of a freeway interchange, and below that is a logo of a tap-and-pay. Binary numbers are also printed on the note, together with outlines of three people, a computer monitor and a graph.

 

Footnote *:-

Brunei, Emirate of Sharjah, Emirate of Fujairah, Emirate of Ajman, Kingdom of Eswatini, Emirate of Dubai, Emirate of Umm al-Quwain, Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, Vatican City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman and Emirate of Dhabi.

 

...Bermuda - $20 Dated 01.01.2009 Third Prints Hybrid (Third Print)

Bermuda

(British Overseas Territory)

Bermuda Monetary Authority (Est.1969)

Currency - Dollar (BMD)

 

This is a third print of the $20 Hybrid note, since it was first introduced in 2009. The theme for this series are local animals on the front and well known places or buildings on the back. As this is a reprint, it also has a new Chairman's signature on the note. There are no changes to the design except for the signature. This note is also printed with the date of 01.01.2009.

Twenty Dollars (Hybrid)

Front - A Lesser Antillean whistling frog resting on a tree branch. To the locals, they are simply known as whistling frogs or tree frogs. Printed on the top are two sailboats, and at the bottom left is the bust of the late Queen Elizabeth the Second.

 

Signatures: -

Chairman - Gerald Simons (tenure 2012-2018)

Director - Anthony Joaquin

Dimensions - 68mm x 140mm

Watermarks - Hibiscus flower and a sailboat

 

Back - On the left is the St Marks Church. The church is located on South Road in Smiths Parish. Construction for the church started in 1847 and was named after St. Marks who wrote the second gospel. To the right is the Gibbs Hill lighthouse. This white in colour lighthouse was built in 1844, and until June 1964, this lighthouse was run by hand. The lighthouse is 108 meters tall and is the tallest lighthouse in Bermuda.

 

...Zimbabwe - $100 2023 Hybrid Reprint

 Republic of Zimbabwe

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (est.1956)

(The King of Funny Money)

Currency : Dollar (ZWD)

 

This is a $100 reprint note dated 2023. I believe this is the last issue for this series as on 05.04.2026, the government of Zimbabwe introduced a new currency called Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG). This new currency replaced the current series first introduced in 2019.

This $100 note was first introduced on 06.04.2022. The last $100 note prior to this series was issued in 2009.

Zimbabwe has experienced years of hyperinflation mainly due to poor economy management, and because of this, the government was forced to accept a multi-currency systems, such as the US dollar. About 80% of the country's local transactions are settled with the USD. Despite the government trying to rely on its own currency by issuing a new Zimbabwean dollar in 2019, and also repeated efforts by the authorities to boost confidence, the Zimbabwean dollar continued to decline and lost its value by 80% in 2023. The multi-currency was supposed to end in 2025, but this has now been extended to 2030.

One Hundred Dollars

Matapos Balancing rocks

 

Front - Like all banknotes issued since 2019, the design on the front depicts the Matapos Balancing rocks near the town of Epworth. The image of the Matapos Balancing rocks have been the main feature on many of its previous series since the early 1980s, except briefly in the 2000s. 

Governor - John Panonetsa Mangudya (tenure 2014-2024)

Dimensions - 158mm x 67mm

Watermark - Zimbabwe eagle (Bateleur eagle)

Back - The main feature on the back is a baobab tree and the Great Zimbabwe Ruins Monument. The baobab tree is a native tree in Madagascar, but they are also found in mainland Africa, Southwest Asia and even in northern Australia. This tree is also sometimes known as the 'Upside Down tree' because of its look. During the dry season the tree will lose all the leaves and the care branches resemble the roots of a tree. The shape of the baobab tree is quite unique as you can identify it with a huge trunk. Growing straight up before it branches out with leaves on the top. Next to the baobab tree is the Great Zimbabwe Ruins monument. The ruins are located in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe, near lake Mutirikwi. It is believed that the ruins was constructed in the 9th century and was once the capital of a kingdom. This site is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

 

Baobab tree, the Great Zimbabwe Ruins monument

Dimensions - 158.5mm x 66mm

 

 Replacement prefix ZZ

Baobab tree, the Great Zimbabwe Ruins monument

...Kazakhstan - Signature Grigory Alexandrovich Marchenko (Tenure 2009-2013)

Қазақстан Республикасы

(Republic of Kazakhstan)

 

Қазақстан Ұлттық Банкі

(National Bank of Kazakhstan)

Currency - Tenge (KZT)

 

Here I have posted two of the three normal circulation notes issued with the signature of Grigory Alexandrovich Marchenko. Marchenko was the Chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan from 2009 to 2013. I believe only three notes were issued with his signature for the normal circulating notes. In addition to this, his signature also appeared on five other banknotes issued for commemorative purposes from 1000 tenge to 20000 tenge. This series has changed little since it was first introduced in 2011. The 10000 tenge note is printed on Hybrid material.

 

Two Thousand Tenge

Dated 2012, flag, Kazakh Eli monument, Khan Shatyr tents, flying pigeons, antelope

Outline map of Kazakhstan, Irtysh river

Five Thousand Tenge (Missing)

 

Ten Thousand Tenge (Hybrid)

Dated 2012, Kazakh Eli monument in Nur-Sultan, flying pigeons

Ak Orda President Palace in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan

...Mauritius - 50 Ouguiya 2023 Hybrid Commemorating 50th Years of the Ouguiya Currency 1973-2023

 .الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية

(The Islamic Republic of Mauritania)

 

البنك المركزي الموريتاني

 (Central Bank of Mauritania, Est.1973)

Currency - Ouguiya (MRU)

 

To me, this is an usual release - One design but with three substrates!

 

Here are the three commemorative banknotes of 50 ouguiya all released on 18.06.2023. The designs for these three notes are all the same except that the banknote materials printed on are not all manufactured the same. I believe this is the first time a central bank has issued the same note design but printed on three different substrates - Hybrid x 2 and Paper. 

 

The three type of materials (substrates) printed for this series are; -

Type l - Durasafe®, a polymer center between paper (Prefix AA, Suffix L);

Type ll - Paper with sisal (Prefix BA, Suffix V); and

Type lll - Hybrid ADDvance®, paper center between polymer (Prefix CA, Suffix G)

 

The above three substrates are manufactured by Landqart, Oberthur and Louisenthal respectively. According to the central bank, the purpose of the three substrates for the same note is to see which one would fare better in terms of durability over a reasonable period, and from there it will then select the one that is most adaptable to Mauritania's environment and climate. As the country has adopted polymer banknotes since 2017, it is not sure if this outcome will have any impact on the current polymer series.

The above Types I and III are considered as hybrid banknotes, but I believe Type II is not. A paper banknote can be manufactured with cotton base, hemp, flax and sisal materials. These materials can provide good resistant cellulose with exceptional strength to the banknotes. 

 

These commemorative notes were released to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Ouguiya, the currency name first adopted on 18.06.1973. Prior to that, the country was using the West African CFA francs. The word Ouguiya came from the Hassaniya Arabic language meaning "Ounce". Mauritania was occupied by the French in 1904 and independence was achieved in 1960.

 

These notes are all printed with the bank's anniversary date of 18.06.2023.

 

The selling price for these three notes are very inconsistent. It appears that the C series is the most common type and followed by the A series. The B series seems to be the most expensive, or perhaps depending on who you are buying it from, both the A and B series can be seen as equally expensive. The selling price for the A and B series are well above the face value of this note, some selling as much as 60+ times above it's value.

 

Fifty Ouguiya Hybrid (Series A - polymer center between paper)

Central Bank of Mauritania

Traditional teapot, traditional musical instrument, wind turbines and solar panels

Fifty Ouguiya (Series B - paper with sisal)

Traditional teapot, traditional musical instrument, wind turbines and solar panels

Fifty Ouguiya Hybrid (Series C - paper center between polymer)

Central Bank of Mauritania

 

Front - The building of the Central Bank of Mauritania located in Nouakchott. To the center right is the Ibn Abass mosque also located in Nouakchott.

 

Treasurer General - Unknown

Governor - Mohamed Lemine Ould Dhehby (March 2022-)

Watermark - Image of a bearded old man and electrotype 50

Dimensions - 131mm x 66.5mm

 

Back -Traditional metal teapot, traditional musical instrument, green energies in Mauritania with wind turbines and solar panels.

 

Traditional teapot, traditional musical instrument, wind turbines and solar panels