Catalog
50 Ngultrum
| Issuer | Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1994 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Ngultrums |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A finely engraved panoramic vignette of Tongsa Dzong occupies the centre of the note, the fortress-monastery rendered in detailed intaglio against a mountain and sky background in teal and brown tones. Symmetrical phoenix vignettes in pale rose flank the central scene at left and right, with the denomination numeral '50' in circular cartouches at each corner. The legend 'ROYAL MONETARY AUTHORITY OF BHUTAN' runs in red letterpress along the top, with 'FIFTY NGULTRUM' and the Dzongkha equivalent inscription at the base below the caption 'TONGSA DZONG'. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Watermark |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan was established only in 1982, relatively late by regional standards, and the ngultrum itself had only been introduced in 1974 to gradually displace the Indian rupee — which remained legal tender in Bhutan well into the 1990s. The 50 ngultrum denomination occupied an awkward middle position in a currency system that still coexisted, in practical daily use, with a foreign note.
Thomas De La Rue's involvement reflects Bhutan's consistent reliance on British security printers through this period. The watermark is the sole listed security feature — modest by 1994 standards, when the industry was already moving toward security threads and color-shifting inks.