...Sao Tome & Principe - 50 Dobras Polymer Commemorative 50th Year of Independence

República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe

Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe

Banco Central de Sao Tome e Principe

(Central Bank of Sao Tome and Principe, Est'd.1975)

Currency - Dobra (STN)

 

Below is a 50 dobras commemorative polymer note released on 21st August 2026. This note was issued to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the independence of Sao Tome and Principe. Independence was granted by the Portuguese on 12th July 1975, after 505 years of occupation from 1470 to 1975. However, it should be noted that the Dutch briefly also occupied Sao Tome and Principe from 1641 to 1648.

This note is predominantly printed in green and gold colours, and it was reported that only 60,000 pieces have been issued. In addition to the 60,000 notes, folders are also available but I am not sure if the folders are sold with or without the note. Due to the quantity issued, letter 'A' is the only printed, and I do not know if replacement notes are also available for this series.

  

Fifty Dobras Polymer

Front - The theme featuring Fauna and Flora of Sao Tome and Principe. To the far left is printed with a Peregrine Falcon and next to it is an African Grey Parrot. In the background it features tropical ferns, forest foliage and a scene of a waterfall - Cascata Mioba. To the top center right is the bust of Rei Amador, the national hero of Sao Tome and Principe. Rei Amador (Amador Viera) led a major 1595 slave rebellion in Sao Tome and Principe against Portuguese occupation and proclaimed himself the King of the Angolares and liberator of the enslaved. He was captured on January 4, 1596 and was later executed by the Portuguese. Today, January 4 is a public holiday in his honour, first celebrated in 2005.

Signatures

Minister of State for Economy and Finance - Gareth Guadalupe (since 2025)

Governor - Agostinho Quaresma dos Santos Fernandes (since 2025)

Date - Decreto No. 09/2025

Quantity - 60,000 pieces

Watermark - half cut Cocoa fruit with cocoa beans inside

Sizes - 150mm x 67mm

Back - Partial outline maps of South America and Africa and an aerial view of Sao Tome and Principe islands with the equator running across Ilhéu das Rolas (Rolas Islet). The Marco do Equador monument is also featured on the note. The monument marks the path of the equator and features a large tile mosaic map of the world on the ground.

 

Folder Issue

In addition to the 60,000 pieces of notes, the bank also released 1000 sets of this note in a folder with an unique prefix of STP (Sao Tome and Principe), and it comes in two varieties: -

VIP Folders - 100 sets with serial numbers from STP 0001 to 0100; and

Standard Collectors Folders - 900 sets with serial number from STP 0101 to 1000. 

The following text are printed inside the standard collectors folders, 

"Message from the governor

Fifty years after the proclamation of independence on 12 July 1975, Sao Tome and Principe looks back with gratitude and pride on the path travelled by our people, Independence gave us the sovereign right to define our destiny, to build national institutions, to protect our culture and to give voice to the aspirations of the islands of Sao Tome and Principe.

The commemorative banknote is issued in honour of that historic anniversary. It recalls the courage, dignity and unity of those who worked for freedom, and it celebrates the natural and cultural wealth that continues to define our nation. Our history has been shaped by the ocean and surrounds us, by the fertile land that sustains us, by cocoa and agriculture, by education, by faith in progress, and by the resilience of our citizens.

As the Central Bank, we also look to the future. The next fifty years must be guided by stability, confidence, responsible development and greater opportunity for every Santomean. Our islands possess extraordinary biodiversity; a strategic geographic identity services and value-added agriculture.

May this banknote service not only as a collector’s piece, but also as a symbol of national memory and ambition: a tribute to independence, a celebration of identity, and a commitment to a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable future for Sao Tome and Principe.

Agostinho Quaresma dos Santos Afonso Fernandes

Governor of the Central Bank of Sao Tome and Principe" 

 

Fifty Dobras Folder Note - Prefix STP

Prefix STP

Sizes - 150mm x 67mm

"About the Banknote

The 50 Dobras commemorative banknote has been created to mark the 50th anniversary of the independence of Sao Tome and Principe, celebrated from 1975 to 2025. Its design brings together history, geography, nature and national identity in a single visual narrative.

The front of the note features two emblematic birds of the islands, the falcon and the parrot, presented against a richly layered tropical landscape. Their presence reflects the exceptional biodiversity of the archipelago and the importance of protecting its natural heritage for future generations. The national coat of arms, the official signatures and the anniversary inscription reinforce the solemn character of the issue. Cocoa imagery recalls one of the country’s most important agricultural symbols and a product closely linked to its economic and cultural history.

The reverse side highlights Sao Tome and Principe’s remarkable position on the Equator. A world map, equatorial markings and the reference to the geodesic and astronomical work of Gago Coutinho, carried out between 1916 and 1918, connect the banknote to science, navigation and the country’s unique place on the globe. The Equator Monument on Ilheu das Rolas appears as a central symbol of this geographic identity.

The green and gold colour palette evokes the islands’ lush vegetation, sunlight and natural abundance, while transparent and decorative elements give the note a modern commemorative character. Together, these motifs honour the past fifty years and look forward to a future built on heritage, knowledge, sustainability and national pride."

195mm x 109mm

...Uganda - nd1966 First Series Post Independence Four Notes

Republic of Uganda

Jamhuri ya Uganda 

 

Bank of Uganda (Est. 16.08.1966)

Benki Kuu ya Uganda

Currency - Shilling (UGX)

 

Here are the four banknotes of Uganda first series all issued reportedly on 15.08.1966.  

Prior to 1966, Uganda shared the same currency together with Kenya and Tanganyika (now Tanzania). The currency was then issued by the East African Currency Board (dissolved in 1967) and was known as East African Shilling. In 1966, Uganda established it's central bank and called it the Bank of Uganda and released a full set of Uganda shilling currency.

A brief history of Uganda. This is the first series of banknotes issued in Uganda post independence. Uganda achieved independence on 09.10.1962 with Apollo Milton Obote (b.1925-2005) as the country's Prime Minister, then President. On 25.01.1971, army General Awon'go Idi Amin Dada Oumee (a.k.a. Idi Amin b.1928-2003) overthrew Apollo Milton Obote while he was out of the country and installed himself as President and then President for life in 1976. This set of (nd)1966 banknotes were then replaced by the (nd)1973 series all depicting the portrait of Idi Amin. On 11.04.1979, Idi Amin was deposed and the a new set of banknotes released without his portrait.

A set for this series comprises five notes. As you can see, I only have four notes posted there. The missing note is the 100 shillings 'error' note also issued on 15.08.1966. All notes issued are printed with the legend text - 'For Bank of Uganda' just below the denomination value. However, the first 100 shillings issued in 1966 did not have this text and as such reprints were issued, and unfortunately I have no information when the second prints were issued. It is unlikely that the reprints were also released in 1966, and my guest would be 1967 or even later.

Signatures*

Governor - Joseph Mary Mubiru (tenure 1966-1971; b.1929-1972)

Secretary - John Robert Ochole Elangot (tenure 1963-1981; b.1934-2021)

Note * - Joseph Mary Mubiru's contract as the bank governor ended in September 1971, about 8 months after Idi Amin seized power in Uganda. It is believed that he was later abducted and murdered by people who were loyal to Idi Amin in 1972. He was accused of financial misconduct by his murderers. However, John Robert Ochole Elangot survived Idi Amin's brutal regime. Elangot was the Secretary of the bank from 1966, and became the deputy bank governor between 1981 to 1989. He died in Kampala, Uganda in 2021 at the good old age of 87. 

 

Five Shillings / Shilingi Tano

Front - Uganda's Coat of Arms in the left.

Series - nd1966 (15.08.1966)

Watermark - An open left hand palm in upright position

Sizes - 147mm x 79mm 

Back - Image of Victoria Nile with Murchison falls. The Nile River runs for about 500 kilometers through Uganda. Within the country, this upper section of the Nile is commonly referred to as the Victoria Nile.  The river begins its journey in Uganda at Lake Victoria in Jinja (the source of the Nile) and flows northward through Lake Kyoga before plunging over the spectacular Murchison Falls. It then empties into Lake Albert and continues as the Albert Nile toward the South Sudan border.

 

Ten Shillings / Shilingi Kumi

 

Front - Unlike the 5 shillings note, the Uganda's Coat of Arms is now printed in the center.

Series - (nd)1966 (15.08.1966)

Watermark - An open left hand palm in upright position

Sizes - 147mm x 79.5mm 

Back - Three farmers harvesting cotton in the open field. The cotton farming supports approximately 250,000 smallholder farmers and up to 90% is exported raw as lint. Cotton is grown in the Northern and Eastern regions of Uganda.

 

Twenty Shillings / Shilingi Ishirini

Front - This time, Uganda's Coat of Arms is now printed on the left-hand side instead.

Series - (nd)1966 (15.08.1966)

Watermark - An open left hand palm in upright position

Sizes - 145.5mm x 80mm 

Back - Wild life with a monkey, a resting lioness with cub, a standing stork, elephants, zebras and impala. Uganda is one of the most bio diverse countries in Africa, also known as the 'Pearl of Africa'. It uniquely combines classic East African savanna safaris with dense equatorial rain forest and vast wetlands, making it a sanctuary for an incredible array of wildlife as shown on this note.

 

 

One Hundred Shillings

Missing the first print for the one that did not have the words, For Bank of Uganda, printed below the denomination value. You must be wondering how they have missed this? Should the person(s) who proofread this be held responsible?

 

One Hundred Shillings / Shilingi Mia Moja

Front - A Crowned Crane standing is a swampland. The Crowned crane is also referred to as Crested Crane. This is a majestic national bird of Uganda, featured on the country's flag and coat of arms. The Coat of Arms is now printed in the bottom central left in a much smaller size than those printed on the three notes above. In the background is an open farmland, and coffee plants.

Series - (nd)1966 

Watermark - An open left hand palm in upright position

Sizes - 147mm x 80mm 

Back - The front of the Parliament house with the Tower that separates the east from the north wing building. This tower together with the parliament was built by the British as a gift to the Ugandans in the late 1950s. It is strange to say that the building was a gift from the occupier, and you must be wondering where the funds came from for the construction? 

...Zimbabwe - 2026 Series of 3 Notes ZiG Second Series

Republic of Zimbabwe

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (est.1956)

(The King of Funny Money)

Currency : Zimbabwe Gold (ZWG)

 

 

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) released two new banknotes on 08.04.2024 with the denominations of 10 and 20 Zimbabwe Gold or ZiG. This new currency was launched on 05.04.2024 with the intention to release this in a full set which would also include the values of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 100 and 200 ZiG. The design for this series was supposed to be all the same, front and back, albeit different colours and denomination values. However, since then only two notes of 10 and 20 Zig have been released. It is not sure what will happen to the rest of the unissued notes. It is believed that some or all the remaining notes were printed. 

Obviously, as we all know, RBZ decided to redesign this ZiG series with improved security features and to have them printed on better substrate. The reason for the redesign of the ZiG series was that there were complaints from the public about the poor quality of those 2024 notes issued and as such RBZ decided to redesign and reissue them again. The initial ZiG series was to cover all 8 denominations. It appears that this new ZiG series only comes in 5 denominations, without the lower 3 values of 1, 2 and 5 ZiG. 

On 07.04.2026, RBZ released the first 3 notes of 10, 20 and 50 ZiG for circulation, and the remaining two notes, 100 and 200 ZiG will be released at a later date. The designs on all the five notes are not the same this time. On the front, each note depicts a wildlife animal of Zimbabwe and on the back, each note features a famous landmark of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe banknotes have come a long way over the past 25 years or so. When the country experienced hyperinflation in the second half of 2000s and early 2010s, the people in Zimbabwe nicknamed their currency as the King of Funny Money. I am not sure if this title still holds in Zimbabwe, but since the 2000s, RBZ has issued more than 80+ banknotes of various denominations, ranging from 1 cent to 100 trillion dollars. Whilst the people in Zimbabwe were experiencing hyperinflation on an hourly or daily basis, these banknotes were in high demand for overseas collectors as these notes were very affordable due to their weak value and also a good opportunity for collectors to build up their collection too. Since then, a few of these notes are selling quite expensive, and because of this, various forgeries are also available in the market. If you are looking for these hyperinflation notes, especially those high value types (100 trillion) beware of the fakes!

 

Ten ZiG 

Front - To the left is a standing Cape buffalo. The Cape buffalo is a native animal of eastern and southern Africa. To the right is an image of the Chiremba balancing rock formation. A couple of gold ingots are also printed on the bottom right corner 

Governor - John Mushayavanhu

Date - Harare 2026

Watermark - Stone-caved Zimbabwe bird and electrotype 10

Sizes - 130.5mm x 65mm

Back - The Malopo hills balance rock formation located in the Matobo National Park in southwestern Zimbabwe, about 35 kilometers south of the city Bulawayo. Bulawayo is the second-largest city in Zimbabwe.

 

Twenty ZiG 

Front - Image of an elephant to the left. The Chiremba balancing rock formation is printed on the right. Two gold ingots at the bottom right corner.

Governor - John Mushayavanhu

Date - Harare 2026

Watermark - Stone-caved Zimbabwe bird electrotype 20

Sizes - 138mm x 65mm

Back - The main feature on the back is the image of Zimbabwe's new Parliament building. This building is located northwest of the capital city Harare. It is about 30 minutes drive from the city center of Harare. The new parliament is situated on 50,000 square meters of land. Construction for the new parliament building started in 2018 and completed in 2022. 

 

Fifty ZiG 

Front - A standing rhinoceros. The Chiremba balancing rock formation is printed on the right. Two gold ingots at the bottom right corner.

Governor - John Mushayavanhu

Date - Harare 2026

Watermark - Stone-caved Zimbabwe bird electrotype 50

Sizes - 144.5mm x 65mm

Back - An aerial view of Kabira dam. This is a massive hydroelectric dam built on the Zambezi River bordering between north of Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Kabira dam was built in 1959. 

...Botswana - 50 Pula 2025 Commemorative Note 50th Year of Bank Of Botswana 1975-2025

Lefatshe la Botswana

(The Republic of Botswana)

 

Banka Ya Botswana

(Bank of Botswana, Est.1975)

Currency - Pula (BWP)

 

This is a new commemorative note of 50 pula reportedly issued on 19.09.2025 to celebrate the country's 50th year of the Bank of Botswana (Golden Jubilee - 1975 to 2025). The central bank was established on 01.07.1975 with its head office located in the capital city of Gaborone. 

Botswana became independent from the British on 30.09.1966. Following independence, the country continues to be part of the Rand Monetary Area (RMA) currency system. The RMA is a monetary union of Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland (now eSwatini) and was established to promote economic development between its member states. The South African Rand was the main currency but other member states also issued their own currencies and were exchangeable at par. 

In 1974, Botswana withdrew from the RMA system and established it's own central bank in 1975 with the new currency of Pula introduced in 1976. The word 'pula' literally means 'rain' in Setswana, a Bantu language indigenous to Southern Africa and spoken by more than 8 million people. The Bank's first governor appointed was Christopher H.L. Hermans (tenure 1975-1978). It should also be noted that he was reappointed as the bank governor from 1987 to 1997. In 1977, the central bank became a government fully owned institution.  

Whilst this banknote celebrates the 50th anniversary of the central bank, the theme on the back honors the achievement of it's athletics performance in the 2024 Paris Olympic games. Botswana has now joined the very few countries that have issued banknotes honoring the Olympic games or participants that won medals in an Olympic game. Other countries that have issued banknotes that are also related to this game are China, Hong Kong Bank of China, Fiji, Macau Bank of China, South Korea and Russia.

This is the first time that the Bank of Botswana has issued a commemorative banknote since the country gained independence in 1966. Hopefully, as a collector, we would like to see more commemorative notes in the near future.

 

Fifty Pula 

Front - On the front, the main design is the image of the Central Bank of Botswana's building. In the bottom center is the commemorative logo for the Golden Jubilee and in the top right corner is the country's Coat of Arms. 

Next to the 50 denomination value in the left corner is an image of a 2488 carats diamond called Motswedi, the second largest diamond ever found. This diamond was unearthed at Botswana's Karowe Diamond mine in August 2024 and is reportedly worth around US$100 million dollars. Next to this diamond, the following text is printed: -

"At 2488 carats, Motswedi, the second largest diamond ever 

found, was unearthed at Botswana's Karowe Diamond Mine."

 

Signatures

Minister of Finance - Ms Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe

Governor - Cornelius Dekop

Date - 2025 (1975-2025)

Watermark - A rearing zebra and electrotype 50

Sizes - 144mm x 71mm 

Back - On the bank, the note honouring Botswana athletics that won medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics games. The main character is the Men's 200 meters gold medal winner, Letsile Tebogo, showing him holding up his winning gold medal. In addition to his gold medal, he also won a Men's 4 x 400 meters Relay Silver medal, together with Anthony Pesela, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi and Bayapo S. Ndori, as shown on the note after the medal presentation ceremony. Needless to say that the image of Letsile Tebogo appears twice on the same note. How lucky is that? Even the President of the country does not have such honour. Behind these athletics is a billowing Botswana's national flag. You can also see the large numeral '50' printed on the note too.

The Paris 2024 Olympic was not the first time that Botswana won any medals. In 2012, it won a silver medal in London and in 2020 (2021) a bronze medal in Tokyo. However, Paris 2024 was the first and only time that Botswana has ever won a gold medal in any sporting events in the Olympic games. In the background is printed with the large numerals of 50 in gold colour and the image of the national flag of Botswana.

Note* - The world largest diamond ever found was Cullinan Diamond, weighing 3,106.75 carats discovered in South Africa in 1905. Unfortunately since then, this diamond was then cut into smaller diamonds, including the Cullinan I weighing 530.2 carats, which is also the world largest colourless cut diamond. Guess who owns this stone now?  

...Ethiopia - Full Set Of Four Notes Dated 2020 To 2023

የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

 

National Bank of Ethiopia (Est.1931)

Currency - Birr (ETB)

 

It has been a long time since I last purchased any Ethiopian banknotes, and here I have posted four notes from the current series. I bought these notes out of curiosity and also these are fairly cheap notes to collect. Ethiopian banknotes were not on my radar but when the dealers sold these in a set, I decided to get them. Whilst the signature on all the notes are the same, not all notes are printed with the same year. The 100 birr is printed with the 2023 year and the rest are printed with 2020. There are three varieties for the 100 birr notes printed with the year dates of 2020 x 1, and 2023 x 2.

This series of banknotes were first introduced on September 14, 2020. These new series of notes are all printed with enhanced security and other distinctive elements. These notes reflect the natural and historical features of Ethiopia. The 200 birr is a new denomination introduced, since the National Bank of Ethiopia was established in 1966. Other lower denominations, such as the 1 and 5 birr are not included in the series.

Ethiopia is one of the 16 landlocked countries in the African continent. The country used to have excesses to the Red Sea until Eritrea successfully gained independence in 1993.

I can say that the majority of the central banks print their banknotes with the national text on the front and then a foreign language on the back, like English, French or others. In some cases, only one national text is used on both and front, and a few print multiple texts due to the country's diversity. The Ethiopian uses a unique writing called the Ge'ez script. This is an ancient writing development in the 4th century AD. On these four notes that I have posted, both the Ge'ez script and English are printed on the front, and only the Ge'ez script on the back. 

 

Ten Birr 

Front - To the center left is the head of a lion. The Lion (Panthera leo) is the country's national animal. It represents strength, bravery, and the nation;s rich wildlife. To the center right is a man harvesting coffee beans, and a scene of a camel standing in the background. To the far left is an outline map of Ethiopia.

Governor - Dr Yinager Dessie (tenure 2019-2023)

Series - 2020

Watermark - Farmer harvesting coffee beans

Sizes - 142mm x 67mm

Back - Four adults (two women and two men) all stacking their hands on top of each other. It looks like a family of four with parents and two adults. Is this meant for unity? To the far right is a Mesob, an Ethiopian hand woven household utensil basket made of fibre of Raffia palm.

 

Fifty Birr

Front - Outline map of Ethiopia, a lion head and a man operating a tractor in an open field. 

Governor - Dr Yinager Dessie (tenure 2019-2023)

Series - 2020

Watermark - Farm tractor

Sizes - 145mm x 70mm

Back - A factory with three chimneys. I have no info as to what type of factory this is related to.

 

One Hundred Birr

Front - Outline map of Ethopia, a lion head and Enqulai Gemb fortress in Gondar. This fortress was founded in the 17th century and was once the home of the Ethiopian emperors. In 1979, this site was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Governor - Dr Yinager Dessie (tenure 2019-2023)

Series - 2023

Watermark - Enqulal Gemb fortress

Sizes - 147.5mm x 71mm

Back - The image of the Sof Omar caves located in the Oromia region. This cave is also Africa's longest cave system and it stretches 15.1km long. To the right is the City gate in Harar, also another UNESCO World Heritage site in Ethiopia.

Two Hundred Birr

Front - Outline map of Ethiopia printed with rolling colour effect and a Lion head next to it. In the center is a flying dove with an olive branch in its beak. I would see this theme as - Peace. 

Governor - Dr Yinager Dessie (tenure 2019-2023)

Series - 2020

Watermark - flying dove with olive branch in its beak

Sizes - 147mm x 72mm

Back - A Walia Ibex (Capricorn) grazing. The Walia Ibex is one of the very few animals that can only be found in Ethiopia. The Walia Ibex is believed to be around 500 existing in the wild and this is a protected animal in the country.