1000 Kwanzas

Angola's first post-independence banknote series, issued by the newly established Banco Nacional de Angola, replaced the colonial escudo just months after Portugal withdrew in November 1975. The transition was abrupt — the new state needed functioning currency almost immediately, and contracting Thomas De La Rue was the practical solution, as the London firm had long printed currency for Portuguese colonial territories.

The "Printed: 30.04.1945" field in this catalog record is almost certainly a data entry error and should be verified against the actual note.