100 Birr

Ethiopia's 1997 series replaced the notes issued under the transitional government following the fall of the Derg in 1991. The shift to Giesecke & Devrient in Munich for this series marked a deliberate move toward higher production standards after years of monetary instability — the Derg-era economy had been characterized by price controls and artificial exchange rates that made the birr's face value largely nominal in practice.

P#50 is the highest denomination in the 1997 issue, making it the note most likely to carry accumulated handling wear in circulation — Ethiopia's cash economy meant high-denomination notes passed through many hands before retirement.