Catalog
500 Kwacha
| Issuer | Bank of Zambia |
|---|---|
| Year | 2024 |
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| Size | 143 × 69 mm |
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| Obverse description | Printed in purple and green on a guilloche underprint, the obverse carries a vignette of the Bank of Zambia headquarters building in Lusaka to the right, with a fish eagle in flight above. The Bank of Zambia logo appears at upper left alongside the national coat of arms, while a gold optically variable ink map of Zambia serves as a central security element. A magenta windowed security thread with demetalized Bank of Zambia logo and denomination numeral 500 runs vertically, and a flower device is incorporated as a see-through registration feature. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANK of ZAMBIA 500 I PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND FIVE HUNDRED KWACHA FOR THE BANK OF ZAMBIA |
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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.