50 Francs

Guinea's first independent banknote series — issued following the September 1958 referendum in which Guinea voted overwhelmingly against de Gaulle's proposed French Community, becoming the only territory to do so — was produced not in Paris but in Prague. The break with France was immediate and total: French technical assistance was withdrawn within months, and the new republic turned to the Eastern Bloc for practical support, including currency printing.

Státní Tiskárna Cenin had extensive experience printing notes for socialist and non-aligned governments during this period. The choice of printer was as much political as logistical.