Catalog
500 Rupiah
| Issuer | Bank Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1991-1996 |
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| Composition | Aluminium bronze |
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| Obverse description | The national emblem of Indonesia, Garuda Pancasila, is depicted in the centre of the field, with the shield bearing the five Pancasila symbols on the eagle's chest and the banner inscribed 'BHINNEKA TUNGGAL IKA' (Unity in Diversity) below. The legend 'BANK INDONESIA' arcs along the upper periphery, with the date of issue positioned below the emblem. The border features a distinctive scalloped or lobed rim that curves inward and outward eight times, with reeding along its edge. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A centrally placed jasmine flower (Bunga Melati, the national flower of Indonesia) dominates the field, rendered in fine relief. The Indonesian name 'Bunga Melati' arcs along the upper portion of the field, while the abbreviated denomination 'Rp500' appears at the bottom. As on the obverse, the border is scalloped, curving inward and outward eight times with reeding along the rim edge. |
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| Additional information |
Indonesia's aluminium bronze coinage of this period was driven partly by chronic shortages of the smaller cupro-nickel flans that had supplied earlier issues, and partly by IMF-adjacent pressure to rationalize the fractional currency in circulation ahead of anticipated economic expansion. The 500 Rupiah denomination sat at a genuinely useful spending threshold through most of the early 1990s — enough to buy a small street meal in provincial cities — which drove heavy circulation and correspondingly heavy attrition in the series.
The 1997 Asian financial crisis effectively ended the coin's practical life almost immediately after the final year of issue, as rapid inflation eroded the denomination's purchasing power within months.