Thomas De La Rue has printed Bhutanese currency since the Royal Monetary Authority's earliest note issues in the 1970s, making this a long-standing commercial relationship rather than a one-off contract. The 500 Ngultrum sits at the top of the standard circulation series — Bhutan never issued a 1,000 Ngultrum note during this period, which makes the 500 the highest-denomination workhorse in everyday large transactions in a country where banking infrastructure outside Thimphu and Phuentsholing remains limited.
The 2006–2020 date range reflects reprint runs rather than design changes; the series was issued across multiple years with no substantive modification to the security specification.
Thomas De La Rue has printed Bhutanese currency since the Royal Monetary Authority's earliest note issues in the 1970s, making this a long-standing commercial relationship rather than a one-off contract. The 500 Ngultrum sits at the top of the standard circulation series — Bhutan never issued a 1,000 Ngultrum note during this period, which makes the 500 the highest-denomination workhorse in everyday large transactions in a country where banking infrastructure outside Thimphu and Phuentsholing remains limited.
The 2006–2020 date range reflects reprint runs rather than design changes; the series was issued across multiple years with no substantive modification to the security specification.