Catalog
500 Bolívares
| Issuer | Banco Central de Venezuela |
|---|---|
| Year | 2023 |
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| Value | 500 Bolívares |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse carries the heading 'República Bolivariana de Venezuela' at top, with the large numeral '500' and the legend 'QUINIENTOS BOLÍVARES' below. A central vignette presents portraits of Simón Bolívar in the foreground and Francisco de Miranda in the middle ground, set against an underprint of the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge and fine guilloche rosettes. The date '17 DE AGOSTO DE 2021' and the promise text appear above two facsimile signatures of bank officials, with the serial number printed in red at upper right and lower left. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is dominated by a large intaglio-style vignette of the Battle of Lake Maracaibo, rendered in green tones, occupying the right-hand portion of the note. To the left, a detailed engraving of the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge appears above the commemorative inscription '200 AÑOS BATALLA NAVAL'. The Banco Central de Venezuela legend runs across the top, the Venezuelan coat of arms appears at upper left, and the denomination '500' is printed in the lower right corner. |
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| Comments |
Venezuela's redenomination history is relentless. This note is denominated in the "digital bolívar" (bolívar digital), the third currency redenomination since 2008 — each round lopping six zeros from the previous unit. The 2021 redenomination that created the bolívar digital was itself a response to hyperinflation that had already rendered the earlier bolívar soberano nearly worthless within three years of its own introduction.
By the time this 2023-dated note entered circulation, the official exchange rate had deteriorated to the point where 500 bolívares represented a fraction of a US cent. Cotton substrate and full security features on a note of effectively no transactional value.