...South Sudan - 500 And 1000 Pounds Series 2023

 

 

The Republic of South Sudan

 

Bank of South Sudan (Est.2011)

Currency - Pound (SSP) 

 

Since I started collecting the South Sudan banknotes when the country became independent in 2011, I thought I should keep collecting them, as they are fairly cheap and quite easy to obtain. However, I must admit that I was a bit slack, as I am still missing two notes from the 2016 series, which I will have to look around eventually to complete my collection.

 

Here I have posted the two notes of 500 and 1000 pounds both printed with the year date of 2023. I believe these are the only two notes printed/issued with this year's date. Since 2019, the central bank has not issued any banknotes that are lower than 500 pounds. I am not quite sure if inflation has anything to do with this. Because of a weak economy, some of the lower denomination banknotes are not worth the paper printed on.

 

There are no changes to the designs on these two notes. However, these are the last notes that are printed with the words South Sudanese Pounds, as from 2024, the country's currency is referred to as South Sudan Pounds only. 

 

Five Hundred Pounds

 

Front - On the front is a portrait of the late Dr John Garang de Mabior (b.1945-2005). He was a revolutionary leader for the South Sudanese people, and was once appointed the First Vice President of Sudan. he was killed in a helicopter crash on 30.06.2005 while he was the First Vice President of Sudan. South Sudan achieved independence on 09.07.2011. 

 

Governor - Johnny Ohisa (Aug-2022 - Oct 2023)

Minister of Finance - Dr Bak Barnaba Chol (Aug 2023 - Mar-2024)

Series - 2023

Watermark - John Garang de Mabior and electrotype 500

Dimensions - 155mm x 79mm

 

Back - A bird-eye view of River Nile winding through South Sudan. River Nile is the longest river in Africa and is the longest river in the world (some believe it is the Amazon River). The water for the River Nile starts from Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is shared by three countries, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The water from the river flows through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea. 

 

One Thousand Pounds

 

Front - On the front is a portrait of Dr John Garang de Mabior (b.1945-2005). He was a revolutionary leader for the South Sudanese people, and was once appointed the First Vice President of Sudan. he was killed in a helicopter crash on 30.06.2005 while he was the First Vice President of Sudan. South Sudan achieved independence on 09.07.2011.

 

Governor - Johnny Ohisa (Aug-2022 - Oct 2023)

Minister of Finance - Dr Bak Barnaba Chol (Aug 2023 - Mar-2024)

Series - 2023

Watermark - John Garang de Mabior and electrotype 1000

Dimensions - 159mm x 82.5mm

 

Back - Two ostriches roaming in the bush. The ostriches in South Sudan are referred to as the North African ostrich species or the red-necked ostrich. The Ostrich is a fast running animal and can reach speeds of up to 55 km/h. Their running speed is only second to those four legged cheetahs with a top speed of 100 km/h. However, there are no comparisons between the two, as an ostrich is a bipedal animal with only two legs.

...Lesotho - Full Set of 2021 Series Reprints

Naha ea Lesotho

(Kingdom of Lesotho)

Banka e Kholo ea Lesotho

(Central Bank of Lesotho, Est.1978)

Currency - Loti (LSL)

Posted here is a full set of five notes all printed with the year date of 2021. These notes are the reprint of the previous series, first introduced in 2011 (all dated 2010). The designs are the same, except that they are modified with wider and a different security thread and with new a signature as well. The previous 200 maloti was introduced in 2016 (dated 2015), and was printed in Hybrid material. These 2021 reprints are printed on paper material, including the 200 maloti.

 

This is the second set I have purchased since March 2024. The mail for the first purchase did not arrive. I have bought this second set from a different dealer. It was disappointing that when a letter is lost and I have no recourse as payment was made via direct bank deposit. This was an overseas purchase. Whilst missing mail is not uncommon, I believe that the seller should also take some responsibility for the loss. How do I know if they had posted the mail in the first place, especially if settlement was done via direct payment, or the responsibility of the dealer to ensure the mail was posted by himself and not by one of his staff members? Some years ago, I bought a few notes from overseas, and after waiting for two months, the letter finally arrived. The original letter posted by the dealer was placed inside another larger envelope with the country's postal services logo printed on the front of the larger envelope. It appears that the contents of the original letter were removed and the empty letter was then placed in a larger envelope and reposted to me. Not sure why they bother to do that as they could have just thrown the empty envelope away. 

The Kingdom of Lesotho is a landlocked country and is an enclave of South Africa. In 1843, it came under British protection and achieved independence on 04.10.1966. The capital of Lesotho is Maseru. Lesotho was once known as Basutoland. The Loti currency is at par with the South African Rand.   

All notes are printed with the signature of Dr. Adelaide Retselisitsoe Matlanyane. She is now the Minister of Finance and Development Planning in the Lesotho government.

 

Ten Maloti 

 

Signature - Dr. Adelaide Retselisitsoe Matlanyane (tenure 2012-2021)

Date - (23 December) 2021

Watermark - King Moshoeshoe, electrotype 10, Basotho hat

Dimensions - 133mm x 71mm

 

Front - Portrait of (L-R) King Moshoeshoe ll (b.1938-1996), King Letsie lll (b.1963-) and King Moshoeshoe l (b.1786-1870). King Letsie lll is the son of King Mosgoeshoe ll, whilst King Moshoeshoe l was the first king of Lesotho and the founder of the nation too. He was also the longest serving king, reigned from 1822 to 1870.

 

Back - Cosmos flowers with a mountain range in the background.

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty Maloti

Signature - Dr. Adelaide Retselisitsoe Matlanyane (tenure 2012-2021)

Date - (23 December) 2021

Watermark - King Moshoeshoe, electrotype 20, Basotho hat

Dimensions - 140mm x 71mm

 

Front - Portrait of (L-R) King Moshoeshoe ll (b.1938-1996), King Letsie lll (b.1963-) and King Moshoeshoe l (b.1786-1870). King Letsie lll is the son of King Mosgoeshoe ll, whilst King Moshoeshoe l was the first king of Lesotho and the founder of the nation too. He was also the longest serving king, reigned from 1822 to 1870.

 

Back - Several Basotho huts (mokhoro).

 

 

 

 

 

Fifty Maloti

Signature - Dr. Adelaide Retselisitsoe Matlanyane (tenure 2012-2021)

Date - (23 December) 2021

Watermark - King Moshoeshoe, electrotype 50, Basotho hat

Dimensions - 148mm x 71mm

 

Front - Portrait of (L-R) King Moshoeshoe ll (b.1938-1996), King Letsie lll (b.1963-) and King Moshoeshoe l (b.1786-1870). King Letsie lll is the son of King Mosgoeshoe ll, whilst King Moshoeshoe l was the first king of Lesotho and the founder of the nation too. He was also the longest serving king, reigned from 1822 to 1870.

 

 Back - Men on horseback overlooking the landscape.

 

 

 

 

One Hundred Maloti

Signature - Dr. Adelaide Retselisitsoe Matlanyane (tenure 2012-2021)

Date - (23 December) 2021

Watermark - King Moshoeshoe, electrotype 100, Basotho hat

Dimensions - 154.5mm x 71mm

 

Front -  Portrait of (L-R) King Moshoeshoe ll (b.1938-1996), King Letsie lll (b.1963-) and King Moshoeshoe l (b.1786-1870). King Letsie lll is the son of King Mosgoeshoe ll, whilst King Moshoeshoe l was the first king of Lesotho and the founder of the nation too. He was also the longest serving king, reigned from 1822 to 1870.

 

Back - Shepherd guarding his flock of sheep.

 

 

 

 

Two Hundred Maloti

Signature - Dr. Adelaide Retselisitsoe Matlanyane (tenure 2012-2021)

Date - (23 December) 2021

Watermark - King Moshoeshoe, electrotype 10, Basotho hat

Dimensions - 161.5mm x 71mm

 

Front - Portrait of (L-R) King Moshoeshoe ll (b.1938-1996), King Letsie lll (b.1963-) and King Moshoeshoe l (b.1786-1870). King Letsie lll is the son of King Mosgoeshoe ll, whilst King Moshoeshoe l was the first king of Lesotho and the founder of the nation too. He was also the longest serving king, reigned from 1822 to 1870.

 

Back - Man on horse back looking over an opened field.

...South Sudan - 500 and 1000 Pounds Series 2021

The Republic of South Sudan

 

Bank of South Sudan (Est.2011)

Currency - Pound (SSP)

 

It is believed that these are the only two notes printed with the year date of 2021. The 500 pounds note was first introduced in 2018 and the 1000 pounds was then added in 2020. At the time of the introduction of the 1000 pounds, it was reported that this would make it easier for the people to make transactions more efficiently. The true reason was due to high inflation and the weak value of the country's currency. South Sudan is considered as one of the poorest nations on earth. On a reputable website for the exchange rate, this South Sudanese pound is officially worth around US$1 = 130.26 South Sudanese pounds or about US$0.08 to one pound.

 

The designs on these notes are the same as those previously issued in 2020. However, these notes are printed with the new year date of 2021 on the front to distinguish the year it was printed or issued. The signatures are not the same too.

Five Hundred Pounds

 

Front - On the front is a portrait of Dr John Garang de Mabior (b.1945-2005). he was a revolutionary leader for the South Sudanese people, and was once appointed the First Vice President of Sudan. he was killed in a helicopter crash on 30.06.2005 while he was the First Vice President of Sudan. South Sudan achieved independence on 09.07.2011.

Governor - Dier Tong Ngor (tenure 2020-2022)

Minister of Finance - Athian Ding Athian (tenure 2020-2021)

Series - 2021

Watermark - John Garang de Mabior and electrotype 500

Dimensions - 155mm x 80.5mm

Back - A bird-eye view of River Nile winding through South Sudan. River Nile is the longest river in Africa and is the longest river in the world (some believe it is the Amazon River). The water for the River Nile starts from Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is shared by three countries, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The water from the river flows through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea.

 

One Thousand Pounds

 

Front - On the front is a portrait of Dr John Garang de Mabior (b.1945-2005). He was a revolutionary leader for the South Sudanese people, and was once appointed the First Vice President of Sudan. he was killed in a helicopter crash on 30.06.2005 while he was the First Vice President of Sudan. South Sudan achieved independence on 09.07.2011.

 

Governor - Dier Tong Ngor (tenure 2020-2022)

Minister of Finance - Athian Ding Athian (tenure 2020-2021)

Series - 2021

Watermark - John Garang de Mabior and electrotype 1000

Dimensions - 159mm x 83.5mm

 

Back - Two ostriches roaming in the bush. The ostriches in South Sudan are referred to as the North African ostrich species or the red-necked ostrich. The Ostrich is a fast running animal and can reach speeds of up to 55 km/h. Their running speed is only second to those four legged cheetahs with a top speed of 100 km/h. However, there are no comparisons between the two, as an ostrich is a bipedal animal with only two legs.

...Egypt - 10 And 20 Pounds Polymer Notes ND2023 Prints

 جمهورية مصر العربية

 (Arab Republic of Egypt)

البنك المركزي المصري

 (Central Bank of Egypt, est.1898)

Currency - Pound (EGP)

 

Here are the two polymer notes of 10 and 20 pounds both released in (nd)2023. The 10 pounds note was a reprint from the 2022 issue, whilst the 20 pounds note is the first release. To date, only the 10 and 20 pounds notes are printed in polymer substrate material. The rest of the Egyptian banknotes are still printed on paper material.

 

Like the 10 pounds polymer series, the design for this 20 pounds note is also completely new too. Also like the 10 pounds note, the 20 pounds note is also printed with a transparent window, which is one of the unique features of polymer notes.

 

Ten Pounds

 

Governor - Hasan Abdullah (tenure 2022-)

Printer - The Printing House of the Central Bank of Egypt

Dimensions - 133mm x 69.5mm

 

Front - On the front is the Al Fatah al-Aleem mosque located in the new administrative capital in Cairo. This mosque was built in 2019 and has a capacity of almost 17,000 people. This mosque is considered the largest ever built in Egypt.

 

Back - The main feature on the back is the statue of Queen Hatshepsut (b1507-1458 BC) and was the fifth Egyptian Pharaoh from 1478 to until her death in 1458 BC. She was married to Thutmose ll who was her half-brother. Thutmose ll was the fourth Pharaoh from 1493 to 1478 BC. To her right is an image of a pyramid, and below that is the Great Library of Alexandra.

Twenty Pounds

 

Governor - Hassan Abdullah (Tenure 2022-)

Printer - The Printing House of the Central Bank of Egypt

Dimensions - 145.5mm x 70mm

 

Front - The Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha. The mosque was built by Muhammad Ali Pasha (b.1769-1849) and was completed in 1848. The mosque was built in memory of Tusan Pasha (b.1794-1816), the second son of Muhammad Ali Pasha. This mosque is located in the Citadel of Cairo and is one of the landmarks and tourist attractions in Cairo. During his lifetime, Muhammad Ali Pasha, an Albanian, was a governor and a de facto ruler of Egypt from 1805 to 1848. The transparent window features the image of the mosque and also the value of the note in Arabic ٢٠, located on top of the mosque.

 

Back - A statue of Queen Cleopatra. To the left is an image of a chariot with a soldier holding a bow and arrow ready to be fired. In the background is an image of a Great Pyramid.

...Zimbabwe - 2024 Zimbabwe Gold Series (ZiG)

Republic of Zimbabwe

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (est.1956)

(The King of Funny Money)

Currency : Zimbabwe Gold (ZWG)

 

This is a new series of banknotes called Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), launched on 05.04.2024. This new series replaced the Zimbabwe dollar which was last introduced in 2019. The 2019 Dollar series was phased out on 26.04.2024. The new ZiG notes were reportedly released on 08.04.2024.

 

This new series should have the exchange rate of USD 1 = ZiG13.56. It is not sure if this is still the case since it was released last year. This new structured currency is backed by gold, the Zimbabwe Gold and other precious metals. There are eight notes in this series, with denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 ZiG. Zimbabwe currently has a multi-currency system and the majority of the country's transactions are done with the US dollar, and this multi-currency system will remain until 2030. 

 

The purpose of introducing a new currency was due to the continuing depreciation of the Zimbabwe dollar which had an exchange rate of between 30,000 to 40,000 Zimbabwe dollars to one USD. The government is also hoping that the new ZiG currency will become a stabilised currency and thus reduce the dependence of the US dollar.

The design on all the notes are the same albeit different colours. I cannot say that the designs for the notes for this series are sophisticated but it does have the basic security features, like see-through perfect register, security thread and watermark. The note is also printed with a QR code. In addition to the new banknotes series, the central bank also released two coins with the value of quarter and half ZiG. The ZiG currency does not have a subdivision, like Dollar and cent.

 

Ten ZiG

 

Governor - Dr John Mushayavanhu (since March 2024)

Watermark - Zimbabwe bird

Dimensions - 150mm x 66mm

Front - The famous Zimbabwean Domboramari or the Money Rock. This is a formation of three boulders that form part of the Chiremba Balancing Rocks, located in the northwestern part of Epworth. A see-through perfect register in the design of a Bateleur Eagle over a five-point star is printed on the top left corner. To the lower bottom right is a QR code.

Back - Gold smelting, with liquid 'white' gold being poured into a gold tray, which is resting on top of presumably twelve gold ingots. I am not sure why the bank did not show the gold in yellowish-orange colour instead in white. White gold has a mixture of other metals such as palladium, nickel or zinc to create a white colour. Obviously white gold is less purer than normal gold.

 

Twenty ZiG

Watermark - Zimbabwe bird

Dimensions - 156mm x 66mm