Catalog
50 Dobras
| Issuer | Banco Nacional de S. Tomé e Príncipe |
|---|---|
| Year | 1977 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Red and multicolour note with a central underprint vignette of an African grey parrot; portrait of Rei Amador at right in intaglio; national Coat of Arms at lower left. Two signature lines appear at bottom for the Minister of Economic Coordination and the Governor. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in red on a light blue guilloche underprint, the reverse carries a central vignette of a fisherman hauling nets in a sailboat on calm waters, with a second sailing vessel at right and a dramatic tropical landscape in the background featuring palm trees and the iconic Pico Cão Grande volcanic plug. A large ornate guilloche rosette occupies the right portion of the note. |
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| Comments |
São Tomé and Príncipe gained independence from Portugal in July 1975, and the new Banco Nacional required its own currency rapidly. Bradbury Wilkinson, by then a well-established security printer with extensive African issue experience, handled the first dobra series — this 50 Dobras being part of that foundational set. The dobra itself replaced the escudo at par, a clean conversion with no redenomination drama.
Bradbury Wilkinson was acquired by De La Rue in 1986, closing its New Malden operations shortly after. Notes from this 1977 issue were printed before that transition and represent the full independent run of the firm's involvement with the country.