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50 Birrs Arms with plough, White hatched sides
| Issuer | National Bank of Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1987 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The central vignette presents a detailed intaglio view of Fasilides Castle in Gondar, rendered with fine architectural precision against a lightly guilloche-patterned field. To the left, a traditional Ethiopian begena (harp-like instrument) appears within a decorative circular frame, while ornate rosette and gear motifs occupy the corners and margins. Denomination values in Amharic script and Arabic numerals are positioned at the upper centre and lower left and right. |
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| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Ethiopia's Derg regime — the military junta that had ruled since Haile Selassie's 1974 overthrow — was in its final, increasingly desperate years when this note entered circulation. The 1987 date corresponds to the regime's attempt to legitimize itself by declaring the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, a civilian constitutional facade that fooled almost no one. Thomas De La Rue's contract for Ethiopian currency printing had run continuously through the Derg period, a pragmatic arrangement that survived regardless of who held Addis Ababa.
The watermark remains the sole security feature — modest protection for a high denomination in a country then experiencing severe economic contraction driven by war, famine, and collectivization failures.