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50 Kwacha 40 Years of Independence
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of Malawi |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
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| Currency | Kwacha (1971-date) |
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| Obverse description | The Independence Arch in Blantyre occupies the right-center vignette, rendered in intaglio against a teal guilloche underprint with radiating sunburst motifs. The denomination "FIFTY KWACHA" appears in large serif lettering at center, flanked by the serial number and an eagle watermark space at left, with the commemorative inscription "FORTY YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE 1964–2004" at lower right. The date "6th JULY 2004" and the Governor's signature appear at the lower left, beneath the bank title "Reserve Bank of Malawi" along the top. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The upper half of the reverse carries an intaglio vignette of the University of Malawi campus at Zomba, set among trees and rolling hills, while the lower half presents the Mangochi Bridge spanning a calm river with figures in the foreground. A vertical security thread runs through the center, and a multicolored guilloche border of interlocking oval motifs frames the entire design. The bank title and denomination are repeated at top and bottom respectively, with the caption "MANGOCHI BRIDGE" inscribed along the lower edge. |
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| Comments |
Malawi gained independence from Britain on 6 July 1964, making this note a commemorative issue for the fortieth anniversary. The Reserve Bank of Malawi has used commemorative dates as printing pretexts since the 1980s, but the 2004 issue is notable for entering general circulation rather than being distributed as a collector item — an unusual choice that resulted in relatively heavy wear on surviving examples.
P#49 is sometimes confused with the near-contemporary P#45 series due to overlapping date ranges in dealer catalogues. Worth confirming the commemorative text before attributing.