50 Thebe

Botswana's currency, the pula, launched in August 1976 as a direct replacement for the Rand, which had circulated since independence in 1966. The decision to establish a sovereign currency came a full decade after independence — unusually late — driven by Botswana's early economic dependence on South Africa and its membership in the Common Monetary Area. Diamond revenues from the Orapa mine, operational since 1971, finally gave the government the financial footing to justify a standalone monetary system.

The series ran through 1985 without significant design revision, reflecting monetary stability rare for sub-Saharan Africa during that period.