100 Gems - January birthstone garnet

Madagascar sits among the world's most significant garnet sources, producing several varieties including the rare color-change garnet found in the Bekily region — a geological fact that gives this note at least a defensible local connection rather than the purely thematic pretext that plagues most of these modern collector issues. The "100 Gems" series is a privately commissioned novelty program targeted at the bullion and gift market, not a circulating monetary instrument in any practical sense, despite bearing Madagascar's name as issuing authority.

Polymer substrate was chosen for its ability to hold fine metallic printing and incorporated window features — production almost certainly contracted to Note Printing Australia or a comparable security printer.