50 Ngwee

Zambia's 50 Ngwee was part of the country's second decimal coinage system, introduced in January 1968 when the Kwacha replaced the Zambian Pound at a rate of two Kwacha to one Pound — a clean decimalization that was relatively smooth by regional standards. Valentine Musakanya, whose signature appears on this note, served as Governor of the Bank of Zambia during a period when copper revenues were still buoyant enough to lend the currency genuine credibility on international markets.

Thomas De La Rue printed the entire P#9 series, as they had the preceding issues. The single watermark security remains the only anti-counterfeiting measure — modest by the standards even of 1969.