50 000 Rupiah

This series ran through one of the most turbulent periods in Indonesian monetary history. The 1997–98 Asian financial crisis sent the rupiah into freefall — at its worst, the currency lost roughly 80% of its value against the dollar — and Bank Indonesia was left rebuilding credibility while managing a denomination that had effectively become mid-range change rather than a significant banknote.

Mujirun, one of Indonesia's most respected bank note engravers, did the intaglio work through Perum Peruri's Karawang facility, which has held the exclusive contract for Indonesian currency production since the early 1970s. The security package here is relatively modest — watermark only — which reflects both production economics and the inflationary environment that kept these cycling through hands quickly.