How Far Back Can We Go? - With Banknotes! Third Edition

1994 Cuba 1 Convertible Peso:


At the time this note was issued, Cuba had a dual monetary system. The Moneda Nacional Peso was used by most Cubans, whereas Convertible Pesos were used by overseas visitors and tourists. One Convertible Peso was roughly equivalent to US$1 and was worth about 25 Moneda Nacional Pesos, However, tourists were expected to pay the same marked price as locals, so a Cuban might pay the equivalent of 4c for a train fare whereas an overeas tourist would pay the equivalent of US$1. The front of this note shows the monument to Cuban poet and national hero Jose Martí.

Next I have a 1994 Estonia 5 Krooni P-76a, honoring Estonian chess grandmaster Paul Keres. The reverse has a fantastic scene of Hermann Castle and Ivangorod Fortress at Narva.

Very nice set from Tonga CB! I also like (& have the 5 Krooni from Estonia).


I visited Cuba at the time of this system. I also made the mistake of standing in line for Cuban Moneda Nacional Pesos & I recall being very unpopular that day! I ended up giving my stash of local cash to a local who was also annoyed with me. Anyway, now I wish I saved some of those FX Pesos as they're quite tough to come by @NumisRob. More great adds for 1994!

Here's my two 1994 entries from "down under" or the other side of the globe. First up is Australia's first polymer $20 P-53a. This is not Australia's first polymer (that was a $10) but this was their first plastic $20 (not all denominations were converted all on same year/series) from 1994.


Front features portrait of Mary Reibey (1777-1855), Schooner "Mercury." She was a pioneer ship magnet for Australia. The back shows Reverend John Flynn (1880-1951) & Air Ambulance "Victory." He was a Doctor Who started Australia's air ambulance system.

Next up is this P-182* replacement $10


The front features Kate Sheppard at right & white camellia at left. She was a famous English Suffragist who worked hard in New Zealand for Women's right to vote.

Great Cuban banknote, NumisRob! And love those two notes, walk2dwater! Of course I'm partial to the birds on the reverse of the New Zealand note.

Very nice 10 Pound note, NumisRob! I like the cricket scene on the reverse.

For 1993 I have a Mozambique 50,000 Meticais P-138. The obverse shows the Bank of Mozambique building, while the reverse depicts a dam.

The last note I'll share for 1993 is a Yemen 100 Rials P-28(2). Yemen often has really beautiful vignettes on their banknotes, and this one is no exception. The obverse shows a culvert in Aden, while the reverse has a city view of Sana'a with mosque minaret and mountains.

Great 1993 notes guys

1993 is a big year for me. That is probably b/c I started collecting pre-Euro & several nations broke the Soviet yoke from 1991-92 but it wasn't until 1993 that they began to issue their own currency.

After the Velvet Revolution Czechoslovakia dissolved to form CR & Slovakia. Here's a Czechoslovakia 1985 note re-issued as P-3c (1993) with the "1000" revalidation stamp for the Czech Republic printed on the design:


It features composer Bedrick Smetana (who was considered the father of Czech music) at right & I love the scene on the back (just like the 100 Krooni from Estonia).
https://en.numista.com/233731
The 100 Korun featured unpopular communist president Klement Gottwald so this design could not be employed for their 1993 issue. Instead, they re-issued this Czechoslovakia 1961 design with the "100" revalidation stamp for P-1 (1993):

I really like the scene of the Charles bridge in Prague on the reverse & I feel its cool to get a bit of a history lesson with banknotes (or coins).

This next note is what I consider a design failure. In 1993, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank issued these notes with the markers (denomination #) almost hidden within a dark box. It made it very difficult to discern which denomination one had (especially at night or dark places). It lasted only one year before it was re-issued (redesigned) in 1994 (almost identical series but no dark box superimposing the marker & the FIFTY made much greener). I found a raggy $10 while living there so I really wanted to get these (my buddy from St. Lucia told me people were mixing up the $10 with the $50 often). Here's a $20 P-28u I won issued from the island of Anguilla:

Fantastic banknotes, walk2dwater! The reverse scenes on the Czech notes are beautiful. Great find on the ECS $20, that's a tough note!