50 Tenge

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Reverse description	The left portion of the reverse carries a central vignette of petroglyphs from the Mangistau region, rendered in dark red linework over a multicolour guilloche underprint that incorporates stylised animal figures typical of ancient Kazakh rock art. To the right, the numeral "50" is printed in large format alongside the denomination in Cyrillic, with the state emblem of Kazakhstan set within a circular cartouche in the upper right corner. Kazakh traditional ornamental bands frame the design at top and bottom, and a secondary numeral "50" enclosed in a guilloche rosette appears at the lower right.
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Protection type	Watermark
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Comments	Kazakhstan's first banknote series, introduced in November 1993, was issued under extraordinary secrecy. The government had been preparing its own currency for months while still officially participating in the ruble zone — the notes were flown in from Harrison & Sons and held in vaults before a surprise three-day window in which citizens could exchange Soviet rubles for tenge at a fixed rate. Harrison printed several denominations in this inaugural series, and the 50 Tenge sits near the upper end of the initial range. The P#12A designation distinguishes it from a subsequent signature variety.