...East Caribbean - $50 Polymer 2024 - Grenada 50th Year Of Independence 1974-2024

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
(Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe and Martinique)

Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (Est. 1983)      
Currency : Dollar (CXD)

 

This is a commemorative polymer note of $50 issued in August 2024 for the celebration of Grenada's 50th Year of Independence anniversary from the British. Despite gaining full independence, the country adopted a unitary parliamentary system with King Charles III as the Head of State (King of Grenada) and has been represented by a Governor-General, Dame Cecile Ellen Fleurette La Grenade since 2013. Grenada was one of the founding members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States when it was first established on 18.06.1981. Prior to this, Grenada was a member of the West Indies Associated States (together with Antigua, Dominica, Saint Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent). Grenada's association ended in 1974 when it became independent.

 

The British officially invaded Grenada on 10.02.1763 under the Treaty of Paris. On 03.03.1967, the country was granted full autonomy and on 07.02.1974, it became fully independent with Eric Gairy (b.1922-1997) becoming the first Prime Minister, serving from 1974 to 1979.

 

Grenada is situated north of Trinidad and Tobago and consists of one main island and a few other smaller islands to the north. It has a small population of around 125,000+/-. Grenada briefly became world famous in the early 1980s. If you have followed world news then, you will remember that this tiny nation was invaded by the USA during the administration of President Ronald Reagan in 1983. The invasion was carried out due to differences in political ideological ideas and policies among the ruling party and the USA. At that time, the Grenada government was very friendly to Cuba (and to the Soviet Union) and because of this the USA was not too happy to have a pro Cuban nation so close to home that may pose a security threat to them. I believe this is the only USA's invasion of a foreign power that ended successfully since the end of the Second World War in 1945. The invasion was brief and only lasted for 8 days (25.10.1983-02.11.1983). Despite having a much superior firing power against the Grenadian forces (and the Cubans), the USA lost 19 of its soldiers in this conflict.

This commemorative banknote honours famous people of Grenada for their pivotal roles in shaping Grenada's history. The designs for this note incorporates Grenada's culture and landmarks and it's achievements since gaining independence.

 

This note is printed in vertical format, both front and back on SAFEGUARD® polymer substrate. It is believed that more commemorative banknotes will be issued when other members of the Eastern Caribbean States celebrate their 50th Anniversary of Independence at a later date. Grenada was the first country to gain independence and as such the first member to issue this commemorative note. Out of the eleven members, Anguila is still a member of the British Overseas Territory and has not chosen to become an independent state yet. The Guadeloupe and Martinique are colonies of France and I believe they have been using the Euro currency since 2002. The British Virgin Islands is using the United States dollar, despite the name 'British'.

This note is undated (nd2024). So far, only two prefixes have been signed - AA and AB. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank's website, this is a limited edition and the notes are only made available in Grenada only. However, this commemorative note is valid for legal tender in any of the member countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. In addition to single note, special $50 notepacks are also sold for those who wish to keep this commemorative note as a souvenir and the issue prices are as follows; -

$50 Commemorative Bank Note Pack - US$30 per set;

$50 Golden Jubilee Commemorative Magazine - US$30 per set; and

$50 Commemorative Bundle Package $50 Note and Magazine - US$50 per set.

(Courtesy of De La Rue)

  

Fifty Dollars

Governor - Timothy N.J. Antoine (since 2016-)

Printer - De La Rue 

Prefix - AA

Dimensions - 69.5mm x 146mm

 

Front - Portrait of Sir Eric Matthew Gairy (b.1922-1997), the first Prime Minister of Grenada from 1974 to 1979. Whilst Eric Gairy was out of the country in 1979, Maurice Rupert Bishop staged a coup d'état and installed himself as the second Prime Minister. Prior to that, Eric Gairy was the Premier of Grenada from 1967 to 1974, and before that was the Chief Minister from 1961 to 1962. Next to him is the Grenadian famous Olympian 400 meters runner champion Kirani James who won a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics, a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. I believe he was not involved in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Below Eric Gairy is a silhouette of three people (family of three) appearing to be celebrating. To the right are the islands (map) of Grenada. The smaller maps are printed over a waterfall. There are at least seven waterfalls in Grenada but I am not sure which one this waterfall is related to. At the bottom is the silhouette of Maurice Bishop International Airport with a commercial airplane taxiing on the tarmac.

Back - Portrait of Maurice Rupert Bishop (b.1944-1983). He was the second Prime Minister of Grenada from 1976 to 1983. He was overthrown by his deputy Winston Bernard Coard (b.1944) on 13.10.1983 and executed on 19.10.1983 by Winston Bernard Coard's followers. He died at the age of 39 years old. Winston Bernard Coard then went on and ruled the country from 13.10.1983 to 19.10.1983 before he too was removed by General Hudson Austin (b.1938-2022). General Hudson Austin only ruled Grenada for 6 days before the USA's invasion. After the invasion, both Winston Bernard Coard and General Hudson Austin were put on trial and both were sentenced to death in 1986. In 1991, their sentences were then commuted to life and in 2007 both were released as free men. Whilst General Hudson Austin died in 2022, Winston Bernard Coard is still alive today. He has given up politics since he was freed in 2007. Below the portrait of Maurice Rupert Bishop is a woman dancing and supported by a musician team of three men playing drums.

 

Fifty Dollars

Governor - Timothy N.J. Antoine (since 2016-)

Printer - De La Rue 

Prefix - AB

Dimensions - 70mm x 145mm

 

Front - Fourteen tactile dots in the shape of a triangle are featured in the top left corner where the denomination of "50" is situated. To the right and below the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank's name, the commemorative text of "50 Years Grenada's Independence" is printed and over the image of Kirani James running, the following text is printed - "The difficult we do right away. The impossible will take time". At the bottom below the commercial plan, the following text is repeatedly printed in two rows in two different colours - One People One Journey One Future.

 

Back - Next to the portrait of Maurice Rupert Bishop are the two large digits of "50" representing 50 years of independence. The following text is printed over the two digits - Forward ever; backward never. At the bottom of the note is the bird-eye view of Grenada's capital city - Saint Georg's.

I personally find it interesting to see this note honouring both Eric Gairy and Maurice Rupert Bishop. Eric Gairy was allegedly reported to be very autocratic and corrupt during his term in office, and Maurice Rupert Bishop removed Eric Gairy, who was then the elected Prime Minister not via a democratic means but by force. I suppose they are still considered as national heroes in Grenada. I wonder what Winston Bernard Coard's opinion on the designs of this note is? 

...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.

 

...Mongolia - 5000 Togrog 100th Year of the Establishment and Strengthening of the Modern Banking System Commemorative

   

(Mongolia)

 

Монголбанк

(Bank of Mongolia, Est.1924)

Currency - Togrog (MNT)

Here is a commemorative note of 5000 togrog (tugrik) issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment and strengthening of the modern banking system in Mongolia. This note was introduced on 31.05.2024. However, it was reported that the release for this commemorative issue was only announced by the central bank on 17.07.2024. 

According to the central bank, only a small quantity of notes were issued for this commemorative series, but it did not mention what the quantity was. Based on the letter prefix printed, it is believed that MB (presumably Mongolia Bank) is the only prefix (and replacement prefix, if any). 

The design for this commemorative note is the same as the current 5000 torog in circulation but with added security features, including visible UV three colours offset SOYOMBO-Mongolian national symbol, a colour-changing feature Spark present the logo of the 100th anniversary of Modern banking system and a horseman on the lower right corner. A tactile feature of six embossed lines are added on the left and right edges to assist those with visual impaired. Most tactile features for the visually impaired are printed with raised dots. This note is printed with this feature in diagonally lines instead.

 

The Bank of Mongolia (or Mongolbank) was founded in 1924. The bank started as a joint venture between Mongolia and Russia and was then also known as the Trade and Industry Bank of Mongolia. The bank opened its door on 02.06.1924 with offices in Urga (HQ) and Altanbulag and managed by 22 staff of whom 18 of them were Russians. It seems that it was more of a Russian than a Mongolian bank when it was first started.

 

Five Thousand Togrog

Front - A portrait of Chinggis Khann (Genghis Khan). Chinggis Khann was born in 1162 and was given the birth name of Temujin. During his lifetime, he managed to unite various Mongol tribes in Mongolia and went on to conquer a large part of China and Central Asia. He ruled the Mongol empire from 1206 until his death in 1227, at the age of 65 years old. It should be noted that during his lifetime, he did not establish the Yuan Dynasty in China. The Yuan Dynasty was established in 1260 by his grandson Kublai Khan (b.1215-1294), 33 years after his death. The Yuan Dynasty then went on and occupied China for 108 years and finally collapsed in 1368, when the Ming Dynasty headed by Hongwu Emperor (Zhu Yuanzhang) successfully chased them out of China. Printed to the left is the commemorative logo with rolling colour effect. 

 

Governor - Byadran Lkhagvasuren

Watermark - ?

Dimensions - 151mm x 72.50mm

Back - On the back, it depicts the Drinking Fountain located at the Chinggis Khan's court. It is believed the fountain was built by Kublai Khan but not sure when. According to a Dutch missionary Friar William of Rubruck which detailed his visit to the Mongol empire in 1253 and described the Drinking Fountain as a tall silver tree complete with branches, leaves and fruit. The structure is crowned by a trumpet-wielding, angelic automaton. Up in the branches are four pipes that emerge that distribute with different alcoholic drinks down to silver basins below. These beverages are grape wine, fermented mare's milk, rice wine and honey mead, all ready to serve the great Khan at his desired. The Drinking Fountain was drawn by Pierre de Bergeron (French) based on Friar William's description. Unfortunately, this creation did not survive long enough to confirm it's existence and I was wondering if this was a true story or just a traveler's imagination. Of course it existed as if not, it would not be depicted on a banknote here. The Drinking fountain was originally located in Karakorum, the capital city of the Mongol Empire from 1235 to 1260. It is interesting to note that the main design of this note on the back is the same as the previous 2021 commemorative note of 10,000 togrog.

...Poland - 20 Zlotych Commemorative - 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising 1944-2024 Folder

Rzeczpospolita Polska
(Republic of Poland)

Naradowy Bank Polski
(National Bank of Poland, Est.1945)
Currency - Zloty (PLN)

 

This commemorative note was released on 26.07.2024 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising. According to the official website, a total of 80,000 sets have been issued and like all commemorative notes issued, this note also comes in a simple folder and is sold at 140 zlotych each. This is a numismatic collectible banknote of 20 zlotych and is legal tender in Poland as face value.

 

The Warsaw Uprising was a failed operation and is referred to the Polish underground resistance group to liberate Warsaw from the German Nazi occupation during the Second World War (1939-1945). The uprising carried out by the pro-Western Polish Home Army was started on 01.08.1944 and only lasted for 63 days to 02.10.1944. At the time of the uprising, the Germans were losing the war and were about to retreat, ahead of the Soviet advance into Poland. However, the advancing Soviet army deliberately halted their advances from the eastern side of Warsaw, and this gave the Germans time to regroup and defeat the Polish resistance. The Warsaw Uprising is also sometimes referred to as the August Uprising. The casualties for this uprising were very high with an estimated 16,000 members of the Polish resistance killed (averaging 253+ killed per day) plus another 200,000 civilians lost their life, mainly due to mass executions carried out by the German as punishment against those resisted. The uprising destroyed about 85% of Warsaw. The Polish leader who gave the order for the uprising at that time was led by Generał Tadeusz Komorowski (b.1895-1966). After the war, General Tadeusz Komorowski went on to serve as the 3rd Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile from 1947 to 1949. He died in exile at the age of 71 years old. Many historians would say that the Warsaw Uprising was premature and that is why it failed with loss of so many lives.

 

This is the 16th commemorative banknote issued by the National Bank of Poland since 2006. Since 2014, the bank has been releasing commemorative banknotes on a yearly basis and sold them as numismatic collectables at a premium. Although all notes issued are legal tender, it is very unlikely that you will ever find them circulating as legal tender notes for goods and services rendered. However, is this going to be an annual event in releasing numismatic collectable commemorative notes going forward? I personally would like to see them releasing them as commemorative circulating types as it might be cheaper to acquire as a collector. The face value for this 20 zlotych is worth about US$5 and the official selling price is 7 times the value of the note.

 

Commemorative banknotes issued by the bank have become popular among collectors over the past few years. Apart from the first issue of the 2006 John Paul II note (50 zlotych - 2.0 million sets issued), the value for all other collectable notes have gone up in value, with a few now getting a bit expensive to collect. 

Twenty Zlotych

 

Front - This is according to the information printed on the folder back cover, showing insurgents on a barricade watching the PAST (Polish Telephone Joint Stock Company) buildings in flames and in the center, a group of German prisoners of war. Below that is a billowing Polish flag of white and red colours, which is also visible under UV light. The denomination of '20' is printed with brick wall rolling effect colour. The note is printed with the Polish date of Warszawa 10 stycznia 2024 r. (Warsaw January 10, 2024). This note is printed by the Polish Security Works (PWPW S.A.) with the prefix of PW.

Signatures

President (Prezes) - Adam Glapinski (since 2016)

Chief Treasurer (Główny Skarbnik) - Barbara Jaroszek (since 2017)

Watermark - Fighting Poland symbol against a stylised  brick wall and electrotype 1944

Quantity - 80,000 sets

Official issue price - 140 zlotych (face value 20 zlotych)

Dimensions - 151.5mm x 78mm

Back - On the left are two resistance fighters with rifles in hands positioning themselves against the background of a destroyed building captured from the interiors of the Church of the Holy Cross, as well as a field mass celebrated in the courtyard at 12 Poznanska Street. To the far right are two-colour graphic elements symbolising brick ruins. 

Note - I believe the two images depicting the insurgents in the front and the resistance fighters in the back both derived from actual photos taken during the time of the uprising. No doubt these are historical images of the war during the German occupation in Poland. I wonder if the Polish authority has ever identified who they are?

 

Below are the full list of all commemorative notes issued since 2006;-

2006 - 50zl Karol Wojtyla aka Pope John Paul ll : qty 2.0M (i/p 90zl)

2008 - 10zl Josef Pilsudski : qty 80,000 (i/p 15zl)

2009 - 20zl Poet Julius Slowacki : qty 80,000 (i/p 80zl)

2009 - 20zl Frederic Francois Chopin : qty 120,000 (i/p 50zl)

2011 - 20zl Marie Sklodowska Curie : qty 60,000 (i/p 60zl)

2014 - 20zl Josef Pilsudski [polymer] : qty 60,000 (i/p 50zl)

2015 - 20zl Jan Dlugosz : qty 30,000 (i/p 72zl)

2016 - 20zl Doubravka of Bohemia & King Miezko : qty 35,000 (i/p 75zl)

2017 - 20zl Our Lady of Czestochowa : qty 55,000 (i/p 60zl)

2018 - 20zl Josef Pilsudski : qty 50,000 (i/p 75zl)

2019 - 19zl Polska Wytwornia Papierow Wartosciowych [hybrid] : qty 55,000 (i/p 80zl)

2020 - 20zl Josef Pilsudski : qty 60,000 (i/p 80zl)

2021 - 20zl Lech Kaczynski : qty 80,000 (i/p 100zl)

2022 - 20zl Protection of the Eastern Front : qty 80,000 (i/p 50zl)

2023 - 20zl Nicolaus Copernicus [polymer] : qty 100,000 (i/p 160zl)

2024 - 20zl, 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising : qty 80,000 (i/p 140zl) 

...Brazil - 500 Cruzeiros 1972 Commemorative 150th Year of Independence 1822-1972

República Federativa do Brasil

(Federative Republic of Brazil)

Banco Central do Brasil

(Central Bank of Brazil, Est.1964)

Currency - Cruzeiro (1970-1981)

I have been trying to get this commemorative note for my collection for quite a while until now. Previously when I found one, it's either the asking price was very high or the condition was not what I was hoping for. I finally found one at one of the local small Sunday show/meet and I bought this note without hesitation. I have no idea if this was a good buy or simply just goodbye ($).

 

This is a 500 cruzeiros commemorative note first released in 1972 to celebrate Brazil's 150th year of Independence from Portugal. There are two main series for this issue (Series A and B) and in all, there are at least 5 varieties. The note that I have posted below is the 5th variety and was the last print for this series. As this is one of the 5 varieties, it is unlikely that I will go and hunt for the remaining four notes, as this can be a bit costly and not to mention that it might be hard to find in uncirculated condition too.

 

Portugal first claimed Brazil in April 1500 and controlled the colony directly from Lisbon in Portugal. In 1808, the capital of Brazil was then transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. In 1815, it became a kingdom when the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was formed. Independence was achieved in 1822 when the Empire of Brazil was established.

 

Five Hundred Cruzeiros

 

Front - Faces of five Brazilian different ethnicities, from L-R, a man facing left, and then with each face turning approximately 11+ degrees to the left and eventually the last one facing the front. I have no idea what ethnicity these five people are from. It appears that they are all males. To the far left are the values of 500, with two sets of 500s printed upside down. This note that I have is from the Series B with the prefix of B02002. The prefix range for this series is ranging from A00091 to B032563.

 

Signatures 

Presidente (Conselho Monetario) - Ername Galveas 

Presidente (Banco Central) - Carlos Geraldo Langoni

Watermarks - Year Date of 1822-1972 (150 years of independence)

Dimensions - 173mm x 78mm

Back - On the back, it depicts five maps of Brazil, showing different eras, from R-L: - 

Map of Descobrimento (Discovery) - showing the eastern side of the country;

Map of Comercio (Trade) - showing natives felling trees and manufacturing goods and a ship from Portugal sailing toward the coast of Brazil;

Map of Colonizacao (Colonisation) - showing vast land area invaded by the Portuguese;

Map of Independencia (Independence) - showing the map of Brazil with boundaries of all states that made up the country; and

Map of Integracao (Integration) - showing (presumably) progress and developments with imaginative seven highways connecting the whole country.