Catalog
500 Gulden
| Issuer | Centrale Bank van Suriname |
|---|---|
| Year | 1986-1988 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Predominantly red-brown multicolour composition centred on a large circular guilloche watermark area framed by radiating sunburst lines. A detailed vignette of a toucan perched among tropical hibiscus blossoms occupies the left half, while to the right an intaglio scene portrays a standing speaker addressing a gathered crowd before a colonial building. The lower border carries a continuous band of interlocking guilloche rosettes incorporating traditional Surinamese decorative motifs, with the denomination numeral '500' rendered in large outline figures at each lower corner. |
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| Variants | P#135a - 01.07.1986 P#135b - 09.01.1988 |
| Comments |
The Centrale Bank van Suriname leaned heavily on Thomas De La Rue throughout the 1980s, a period when Suriname's economy was under severe strain following the 1982 military decrees that froze Dutch development aid after the December Murders — the execution of fifteen political opponents by the Bouterse regime. The 500 Gulden was the highest denomination in regular circulation during this stretch, and the gap between its face value and purchasing power widened considerably as inflation eroded the gulden through the late 1980s.
Watermarking alone as the primary security feature reflects the relatively modest production specification De La Rue was contracted to meet for this series.