Catalog
500 Kwacha
| Issuer | Bank of Zambia |
|---|---|
| Year | 2024 |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | BANK of ZAMBIA ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION FIVE HUNDRED KWACHA |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | a fish eagle and electrotype numeral 500, plus a secondary fish eagle electrotype; magenta windowed security thread with demetalized Bank of Zambia logo and numeral 500; gold optically variable ink (OVI) map of Zambia on obverse. |
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| Comments |
The 2024 series marks a significant redenomination-adjacent redesign for Zambia, which had already rebased its currency in 2013 — dropping three zeros — following years of kwacha depreciation driven by copper price volatility and chronic fiscal deficits. The 500 Kwacha note sits at the top of the current circulating series, a position that reflects just how far domestic purchasing power has continued to erode since that rebasing.
Cotton substrate retention rather than a move to polymer is a notable choice, given that several regional central banks have shifted to polymer for high-denomination notes in this period.