Catalog
50 Latu
| Issuer | Latvijas Banka (Bank of Latvia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1992 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Cotton paper |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | The obverse presents a stylised oak leaf vignette at centre, accompanied by an ancient sailing vessel rendered in intaglio. A vertical ornamental band running along one edge incorporates the traditional geometric motif of the Lielvārde belt, a key element of Latvian folk art heritage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse carries the historical small Coat of Arms of Riga within a cartouche, set against a detailed plan of medieval Riga rendered as a cartographic vignette. The National Coat of Arms of Latvia is also present, complementing the civic and heraldic composition. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Latvia restored the lats in 1922, suppressed it under Soviet occupation, and brought it back again in 1993 — this note was part of the preparatory printing that made that second restoration possible. Giesecke & Devrient produced the series before the lats officially re-entered circulation, meaning these notes existed physically before the currency they represented was legally recognized.
The 50-lats denomination was the highest in the initial reissue series, printed at a moment when Latvia's monetary independence was administratively real but economically untested. Imants Žodžiks and Valdis Ošiņš handled the design — a deliberate choice to use domestic talent for a currency explicitly tied to national re-emergence from Soviet rule.