100 Sylis

Guinea's 1971 100 Sylis belongs to the first generation of syli-denominated notes, issued after the Sékou Touré government abolished the Guinean franc in 1972 — which creates an immediate puzzle, since this note is dated a year before the official currency changeover. The syli was introduced specifically to sever economic ties with the French franc zone, and early printings were prepared ahead of the formal transition.

The syli itself was subdivided into 100 cauris, a deliberate nod to the cowrie shells historically used as currency across West Africa. Pick 19 is the higher-denomination note of the inaugural syli series and was printed by an Eastern Bloc security printer, reflecting Guinea's political alignment at the time.