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500 Kwacha
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of Malawi |
|---|---|
| Year | 2001 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Kwacha |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Intaglio portrait of John Chilembwe at right, set against a multicolour guilloche underprint with a central vignette of men paddling a traditional canoe beneath a stylised sun. The denomination numeral '500' appears at upper left, with the issuer's title in large letterpress across the top. Date '1ST DECEMBER 2001' and the Governor's signature appear at lower left. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | RESERVE BANK OF MALAWI FIVE HUNDRED KWACHA |
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| Comments |
The 500 Kwacha was the highest denomination in circulation when this note was issued, a reflection of how far the kwacha had deteriorated since its introduction in 1971. Malawi's chronic inflation through the 1990s — driven partly by donor aid disruptions following human rights pressure on the Banda government and its aftermath — eroded purchasing power severely enough that a note of this size became a practical necessity for everyday transactions rather than a large-value instrument.
De La Rue's inclusion of a hologram strip placed this issue at the upper end of Malawi's security investment at the time.