Catalog
50 Syrian Pounds
| Issuer | Central Bank of Syria |
|---|---|
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Pounds |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A large circular vignette at centre-right contains an intaglio rendering of cuneiform clay tablets with Ugaritic script from the ancient city of Ebla, set against a fine guilloche underprint in grey-blue tones. A foreground vignette presents a clay cylinder seal bearing cuneiform inscriptions in full colour. The denomination numeral '٥٠' appears in large intaglio print at lower left and upper right, with the bank title and value inscriptions in Arabic above and below the central vignette. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The central vignette presents the Al-Asad National Library in Damascus rendered in fine intaglio line work, with a seated statue of Hafez al-Assad positioned in the foreground at centre. A decorative geometric rosette motif in gold and blue appears to the right, flanked by guilloché patterning. The denomination '50' is repeated in numeral form at upper right and lower left, with the English inscription running along the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
Robert Kalina is best known for designing the original euro banknotes adopted in 2002, making his appearance on Syrian paper an unusual commission — one that reflects how drastically the country's printing options had narrowed by the late 2010s. Western security printers had largely withdrawn from Syrian contracts under international sanctions pressure, pushing the Central Bank toward Goznak in Moscow, which had stepped in as a reliable supplier well before this 2021 issue.
Goznak's involvement with Syrian currency expanded significantly after 2011, and this note is part of that longer supply relationship rather than a one-off arrangement.