50 Quetzales

Thomas De La Rue had supplied Guatemalan banknote contracts intermittently since the mid-twentieth century, and this series continued that relationship through the late 1980s — a period of significant political turbulence as Guatemala transitioned from military to civilian governance following the 1986 constitution. The 50 Quetzal denomination sat at the upper end of everyday circulation values, making it a frequent target of counterfeiting pressure that likely informed the decision to retain a London printer rather than shift production domestically.

The embedded security thread was still a relatively recent addition to the series at this point, reflecting updated specifications that De La Rue introduced across multiple client currencies during the mid-1980s.