List of motifs on banknotes
This is a list of current motifs on the banknotes of different countries. The customary design of banknotes in most countries is a portrait of a notable citizen on the front and a different motif on the back - often something relating to that person. One exception to this is the euro banknotes, where non-existent architectural structures have been chosen to avoid the impression of a national bias. Even though most banknotes have more than one motif on each side, only the main motifs are described here.
Albania
The official currency of Albania is the Albanian lek. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
ALL 100 | Fan S. Noli | First Albanian Parliament building |
ALL 200 | Naim Frashëri | Birthplace of Naim Frashëri |
ALL 500 | Ismail Qemali | Vlorë independence building |
ALL 1,000 | Pjetër Bogdani | Church of Vau |
ALL 2,000 | Gentius | Amphitheatre at Butrinto, yellow gentian |
ALL 5,000 | Skanderbeg | Krujë Castle |
Argentina
The official currency of Argentina is the Argentine peso. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
ARS 1 | Carlos Pellegrini | Argentine National Congress |
ARS 2 | Bartolomé Mitre | Mitre Museum |
ARS 5 | José de San Martín | Cerro de la Gloria, Mendoza |
ARS 10 | Manuel Belgrano | National Flag Memorial |
ARS 20 | Juan Manuel de Rosas | Battle of Vuelta de Obligado |
ARS 50 | Domingo Faustino Sarmiento | Casa de Gobierno |
ARS 100 | Julio Argentino Roca | Campaña del Desierto |
ARS 100 | María Eva Duarte de Perón | Ara Pacis |
Australia
The official currency of Australia is the Australian dollar. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
AUD 5 | Queen Elizabeth II | Parliament House |
AUD 5 | Henry Parkes | Catherine Helen Spence |
AUD 10 | A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson | Mary Gilmore |
AUD 20 | Mary Reibey | John Flynn |
AUD 50 | David Unaipon | Edith Cowan |
AUD 100 | Dame Nellie Melba | Sir John Monash |
Brazil
The official currency of Brazil is the Brazilian real. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
BRL 2 | The Republic's Effigy | Hawksbill turtle |
BRL 5 | The Republic's Effigy | Great egret |
BRL 10 | The Republic's Effigy | Greenwing macaw |
BRL 20 | The Republic's Effigy | Golden lion tamarin |
BRL 50 | The Republic's Effigy | Jaguar |
BRL 100 | The Republic's Effigy | Dusky grouper |
Canada
The official currency of Canada is the Canadian dollar. The motifs used on the Frontier Series, the most recent banknotes of the Canadian dollar released by the Bank of Canada, are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
CAD 5 | Wilfrid Laurier | Canadarm 2 and Dextre, astronaut in space |
CAD 10 | John A. Macdonald | The Canadian, mountains |
CAD 20 | Queen Elizabeth II | Canadian National Vimy Memorial |
CAD 50 | William Lyon Mackenzie King | CCGS Amundsen |
CAD 100 | Robert Borden | Medical research, electrocardiogram track pattern, strand of DNA, woman at a microscope, bottle of insulin |
China, People's Republic of
The official currency of China is the Chinese yuan. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
CNY 1 | Mao Zedong | Three Pools Mirroring the Moon at West Lake |
CNY 5 | Mao Zedong | Mount Tai |
CNY 10 | Mao Zedong | Three Gorges of the Yangtze River |
CNY 20 | Mao Zedong | Scenery of Guilin |
CNY 50 | Mao Zedong | Potala Palace |
CNY 100 | Mao Zedong | Great Hall of the People |
Colombia
The official currency of Colombia is the Colombian peso. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
COP 1000 | Jorge Eliécer Gaitán | Jorge Eliécer Gaitán and a crowd |
COP 2000 | Francisco de Paula Santander | The door of the Casa de la moneda |
COP 5000 | José Asunción Silva | Hacienda El Paraiso, from the novel Maria |
COP 10,000 | Policarpa Salavarrieta | Guaduas main plaza |
COP 20,000 | Julio Garavito Armero | The Moon, a reference to the Garavito Crater |
COP 50,000 | Jorge Isaacs | A paragraph from the novel María |
Croatia
The official currency of Croatia is the Croatian kuna. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
HRK 5 | Fran Krsto Frankopan and ban Petar Zrinski | Castle in Varaždin |
HRK 10 | Juraj Dobrila | Arena in Pula |
HRK 20 | Ban Josip Jelačić | Castle of the Eltz family in Vukovar and Vučedol Dove |
HRK 50 | Ivan Gundulić | Dubrovnik |
HRK 100 | Viceroy Ivan Mažuranić | Church of Saint Vitus in Rijeka |
HRK 200 | Stjepan Radić | Building of the High military command in the Austrian fortress Tvrđa in Osijek |
HRK 500 | Marko Marulić | Diocletian's Palace in Split |
HRK 1000 | Ante Starčević | Statue of the medieval king Tomislav and Zagreb cathedral in Zagreb |
Czech Republic
The official currency of Czech Republic is the Czech koruna. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
CZK 20 | Ottokar I. of Bohemia | Crown and Seal of Ottokar I. of Bohemia |
CZK 50 | Saint Agnes of Bohemia | St. Salvator's Church ceiling and ornamental letter A |
CZK 100 | Charles IV | Seal of Charles University in Prague |
CZK 200 | John Amos Comenius | Orbis Pictus, an adult's hand passing to a child's hand |
CZK 500 | Božena Němcová | Laureate woman symbolizing all woman characters in Němcová's books |
CZK 1000 | František Palacký | Eagle spread its wings over the Archbishop's Castle in Kroměříž, where a constitution preparing parliament of Austrian Empire was held in 1848 |
CZK 2000 | Emmy Destinn | Euterpe and musical motifs like violin |
CZK 5000 | Gothic and Baroque buildings in Prague, in centre dominating St. Vitus Cathedral |
Denmark
The official currency of Denmark is the Danish krone. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
DKK 50 | Sallingsund Bridge | Skarpsalling vessel |
DKK 100 | Little Belt Bridge | Hindsgavl dagger |
DKK 200 | Knippelsbro | Langstrup belt plate |
DKK 500 | Queen Alexandrine Bridge | Keldby bronze pail |
DKK 1000 | Great Belt Bridge | Trundholm Sun Chariot |
Egypt
The official currency of Egypt is the Egyptian pound. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
LE 1 | the Mosque of Sultan Qaitbay | a part of the facade of Abu Simbel Temple |
LE 5 | Mosque of Ibn Tulun جامع أحمد بن طولون, in Cairo | the River Nile bestowing its blessing on the Valley |
LE 10 | Al Rifa'i Mosque جامع الرفاعى, in Cairo | A statue of Khafre الملك خفرع |
LE 20 | Mosque of Muhammad Ali جامع محمد على at the Citadel, Cairo | relief pharaonic drawings on one of the pillars of Sesostris I Temple |
LE 50 | Abu Hariba Mosque | an inside view of Edfu Temple |
LE 100 | Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan جامع السلطان حسن, in Cairo | head of the Sphinx statue |
LE 200 | Mosque of Qanybay El-Rammah | The Seated Scribe |
Estonia
The former currency of Estonia was the Estonian kroon. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
EEK 1 | Kristjan Raud | Toompea Castle in Tallinn |
EEK 2 | Karl Ernst von Baer | University of Tartu |
EEK 5 | Paul Keres | The Narva river and the Jaanilinn stronghold |
EEK 10 | Jakob Hurt | The Tamme-Lauri oak at Urvaste |
EEK 25 | Anton Hansen Tammsaare | A view of Vargamäe |
EEK 50 | Rudolf Tobias | The Estonia Opera House in Tallinn |
EEK 100 | Lydia Koidula | Baltic Klint |
EEK 500 | Carl Robert Jakobson | A barn swallow flying over a landscape |
Euro area (EU)
The official currency of the 19 Eurozone countries is the euro. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
EUR 5 | Classical gateway | Classical bridge |
EUR 10 | Romanesque gateway | Romanesque bridge |
EUR 20 | Gothic windows | Gothic bridge |
EUR 50 | Renaissance windows | Renaissance bridge |
EUR 100 | Baroque/Rococo gateway | Baroque/Rococo bridge |
EUR 200 | Art Nouveau windows | Art Nouveau bridge |
EUR 500 | Modern windows | Modern bridge |
Hungary
The official currency of Hungary is the Hungarian forint. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
HUF 200 | Charles I | Diósgyőr Castle |
HUF 500 | Francis II Rákóczi | Sárospatak Castle |
HUF 1000 | King Matthias Corvinus | Hercules Fountain in Visegrád |
HUF 2000 | Gábor Bethlen | Bethlen and his scientists |
HUF 5000 | Count István Széchenyi | Széchenyi Mansion in Nagycenk |
HUF 10,000 | King Stephen I of Hungary | Esztergom |
HUF 20,000 | Ferenc Deák | The old House of Commons in Pest |
Iceland
The official currency of Iceland is the Icelandic króna. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
ISK 500 | Jón Sigurðsson | Reykjavík grammar school |
ISK 1000 | Brynjólfur Sveinsson | Brynjólfskirkja |
ISK 2000 | Jóhannes S. Kjarval | Painting and drawing by Karval |
ISK 5000 | Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir | Laufáskirkja altar cloth |
ISK 10,000 | Jónas Hallgrímsson | Eurasian golden plover |
India
The official currency of India is the Indian rupee. Currently the Reserve Bank of India issues the Mahatma Gandhi series and the Mahatma Gandhi New Series banknotes. The motifs used in it are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
INR 5 | Mahatma Gandhi | Tractor |
INR 10 | Mahatma Gandhi | Sun Temple, Konark |
INR 20 | Mahatma Gandhi | Ellora Caves |
INR 50 | Mahatma Gandhi | Hampi |
INR 100 | Mahatma Gandhi | Rani ki vav |
INR 200 | Mahatma Gandhi | Sanchi Stupa |
INR 500 | Mahatma Gandhi | Red Fort |
INR 2000 | Mahatma Gandhi | Mangalyaan |
Indonesia
The official currency of Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IDR 1000 | Tjut Meutia | Tifa dance and Banda Neira |
IDR 2000 | Mohammad Husni Thamrin | Piring dance and Sianok Canyon |
IDR 5000 | Idham Chalid | Gambyong dance and Mount Bromo |
IDR 10,000 | Frans Kaisiepo | Pakarena dance and Wakatobi National Park |
IDR 20,000 | Gerungan Saul Samuel Jozias Ratulangi | Gong dance and Derawan Islands |
IDR 50,000 | Djuanda Kartawidjaja | Legong dance and Komodo National Park |
IDR 100,000 | Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta | Topeng Betawi dance and Raja Ampat Islands |
Iran
The official currency of Iran is the Iranian rial. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IRR 100 | Ayatollah Modarres | Old building of Islamic Consultative Assembly |
IRR 200 | Jame' Mosque of Yazd | Jahad-e Sazandegi |
IRR 500 | Friday prayers | University of Tehran main entrance |
IRR 1000 | Ruhollah Khomeini | Dome of the Rock |
IRR 2000 | Ruhollah Khomeini | Kaaba |
IRR 5000 | Ruhollah Khomeini | traditional decorative birds and flowers pattern |
IRR 5000 | Ruhollah Khomeni | OMID satellite, Safir 2 rocket, globe with the marked territory of Iran |
IRR 5000 | Ruhollah Khomeni | Pottery of Zabol |
IRR 10,000 | Ruhollah Khomeini | Mount Damavand |
IRR 20,000 | Ruhollah Khomeini | Naqsh-e Jahan Square |
IRR 50,000 | Ruhollah Khomeini | Map of Iran with Atom symbol, quote in Persian from the prophet Mohammed, and "Persian Gulf" in English |
IRR 100,000 | Ruhollah Khomeini | Saadi's Mausoleum in Shiraz |
Iraq
The official currency of Iraq is the Iraqi Dinar. The motifs used are:2003 Series:
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IQD 50 | Grain silos at Basra | Date palms |
IQD 250 | An Arabic astrolabe أسطرلاب | Spiral minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra |
IQD 1000 | An Islamic gold dinar coin, دينار إسلامي ذهبي | Mustansiriya School, Baghdad |
IQD 5000 | Geli Ali Beg waterfall, شلال كلي علي بك | Al-Ukhaidir Fortress, Karbala |
IQD 10,000 | Ibn al-Haytham | The hunchbacked minaret Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul |
IQD 25,000 | A Kurdish farmer holding a sheaf of wheat, a tractor and An Islamic gold dinar coin | Carving of the Code of King Hammurabi |
2004 Series:
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IQD 500 | Dukan Dam | winged bull, Lamassu |
IQD 10,000 | Ibn al-Haytham | The hunchbacked minaret Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul |
IQD 25,000 | A Kurdish farmer holding a sheaf of wheat, a tractor and An Islamic gold dinar coin | Carving of the Code of King Hammurabi |
2006 Series:
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IQD 5000 | Geli Ali Beg waterfall, شلال كلي علي بك | Al-Ukhaidir Fortress, Karbala |
IQD 10000 | Ibn al-Haytham | The hunchbacked minaret Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul |
IQD 25,000 | A Kurdish farmer holding a sheaf of wheat, a tractor and An Islamic gold dinar coin | Carving of the Code of King Hammurabi |
2008 Series:
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IQD 25,000 | A Kurdish farmer holding a sheaf of wheat, a tractor and An Islamic gold dinar coin | Carving of the Code of King Hammurabi |
2010 Series:
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IQD 5000 | Geli Ali Beg waterfall, شلال كلي علي بك | Al-Ukhaidir Fortress, Karbala |
IQD 10,000 | Ibn al-Haytham | The hunchbacked minaret Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul |
IQD 25,000 | A Kurdish farmer holding a sheaf of wheat, a tractor and An Islamic gold dinar coin | Carving of the Code of King Hammurabi |
2012 Series:
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IQD 250 | An Arabic astrolabe أسطرلاب | Spiral minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra |
IQD 1000 | An Islamic gold dinar coin, دينار إسلامي ذهبي | Mustansiriya School, Baghdad |
2013 Series Islamic calendar :
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IQD 1000 | An Islamic gold dinar coin, دينار إسلامي ذهبي | Mustansiriya School, Baghdad |
IQD 5000 | Geli Ali Beg waterfall, شلال كلي علي بك | Al-Ukhaidir Fortress, Karbala |
IQD 10,000 | Ibn al-Haytham | The hunchbacked minaret Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul |
2013 Series Islamic calendar :
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IQD 250 | An Arabic astrolabe أسطرلاب, one intaglio circle at left front | Spiral minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra |
IQD 500 | Dukan Dam, Two intaglio circles at left front | winged bull, Lamassu |
IQD 1000 | An Islamic gold dinar coin, دينار إسلامي ذهبي, Three intaglio circles at left front | Mustansiriya School, Baghdad |
IQD 5000 | Geli Ali Beg waterfall, شلال كلي علي بك, one intaglio bar at left front | Al-Ukhaidir Fortress, Karbala |
IQD 10,000 | Freedom Monument in Baghdad, Jawad Saleem, two intaglio bar at left front | The hunchbacked minaret Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul |
IQD 25,000 | A Kurdish peasant holding a jug, a tractor and An Islamic gold dinar coin, three intaglio bar at left front | Carving of the Code of King Hammurabi |
2015 Series :
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
IQD 500 | Dukan Dam, two intaglio circles at left front | winged bull, Lamassu, Add Kurdish language |
IQD 10,000 | Freedom Monument in Baghdad, Jawad Saleem, two intaglio bar at left front | The hunchbacked minaret Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul |
IQD 25,000 | A Kurdish peasant holding a jug, a tractor and An Islamic gold dinar coin, three intaglio bar at left front | Carving of the Code of King Hammurabi |
IQD 50,000 | Water wheel on the Euphrates river Noria, Date palm, Gali Ali Beg waterfall in Arbil, four intaglio bar at left front | Mesopotamian Marshes, reed house, Euphrates and Tigris rivers |
Table of Iraqi Banknotes according to the years of issue:
Denomination | 2003 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2013/1434 | 2013/1435 | 2015 |
IQD 50 | Yes | ||||||||
IQD 250 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
IQD 500 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
IQD 1000 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
IQD 5000 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
IQD 10,000 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
IQD 25,000 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
IQD 50,000 | Yes |
Japan
The official currency of Japan is the Japanese yen. The motifs used are:1984 Series :
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
JPY 1000 | Natsume Sōseki | Pair of Cranes |
JPY 5000 | Nitobe Inazo | Mt. Fuji, Lake Motosuko and Cherry blossoms |
JPY 10,000 | Fukuzawa Yukichi | Pair of Pheasants |
2000 Special :
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
JPY 2000 | 'shurei no mon' | scene from Genji Monogatari. On lower right is a portrait of the writer, Murasaki Shikibu from 1000 years ago. |
2004 Series :
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
JPY 1000 | Noguchi Hideyo | Mt. Fuji, Lake Motosuko and Cherry blossoms |
JPY 5000 | Higuchi Ichiyō | Kakitsubata-zu |
JPY 10,000 | Fukuzawa Yukichi | Statue of hōō from Byōdō-in Temple |
Jersey
Banknotes of the Jersey pound are issued in Jersey. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
JEP 1 | Queen Elizabeth II | St. Helier Parish Church |
JEP 5 | Queen Elizabeth II | La Corbière lighthouse |
JEP 10 | Queen Elizabeth II | The Death of Major Pierson, Battle of Jersey |
JEP 20 | Queen Elizabeth II | St. Ouen's manor |
JEP 50 | Queen Elizabeth II | Government House |
Korea, South
The official currency of South Korea is the South Korean Won. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
KRW 1000 | Yi Hwang Seonggyungwan | Dosan Seowon |
KRW 5000 | Yi I Ojukheon | Chochoongdo |
KRW 10,000 | King Sejong the Great Irworobongdo Yongbieocheonga | Honcheonsigye, Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido |
KRW 50,000 | Shin Saimdang | Poongjukdo |
Lithuania
The former currency of Lithuania is the Lithuanian litas. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
LTL 1 | Žemaitė | Wooden church of Palūšė |
LTL 2 | Motiejus Valančius | Trakai Island Castle |
LTL 5 | Jonas Jablonskis | Sculpture "Vargo mokykla" by Petras Rimša |
LTL 10 | Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas | Lituanica flying over the Atlantic Ocean |
LTL 20 | Maironis | Vytautas the Great War Museum and its carillon tower, the Statue of Liberty in Kaunas |
LTL 50 | Jonas Basanavičius | Vilnius Cathedral and its belfry, Monument to Grand Duke Gediminas, Gediminas Tower and the Hill of Three Crosses |
LTL 100 | Simonas Daukantas | Vilnius Old Town: Vilnius University and the Church of St. Johns |
LTL 200 | Vydūnas | Lighthouse in Klaipėda |
LTL 500 | Vincas Kudirka | Loops of the Neman River |
Malaysia
The official currency of Malaysia is the Malaysian ringgit. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
MYR 1 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Cultural & Tourism Industry |
MYR 2 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Telecommunication Industry |
MYR 5 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | ICT Technology |
MYR 10 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Transportation Industry |
MYR 50 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Petrochemical industry |
MYR 100 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Heavy Industry |
2012 version
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
MYR 1 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Wau bulan |
MYR 5 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Rhinoceros hornbill |
MYR 10 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Rafflesia |
MYR 20 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Hawksbill and leatherback turtle |
MYR 50 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, Agriculture Industry |
MYR 100 | Tuanku Abdul Rahman | Mount Kinabalu and pinnacles rock formations of Gunung Api valley |
New Zealand
The official currency of New Zealand is the New Zealand Dollar. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
NZD 5 | Sir Edmund Hillary Aoraki / Mount Cook | Hoiho |
NZD 10 | Kate Sheppard White camellia flowers | Whio |
NZD 20 | Queen Elizabeth II New Zealand Parliament Buildings | Karearea |
NZD 50 | Sir Āpirana Ngata Porourangi Meeting House | Kokako |
NZD 100 | Lord Rutherford of Nelson Nobel Prize medal | Mohua |
Norway
The official currency of Norway is the Norwegian krone. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
NOK 50 | Peter Chr. Asbjørnsen | Water lilies |
NOK 100 | Kirsten Flagstad | Norwegian National Opera |
NOK 200 | Kristian Birkeland | Northern lights |
NOK 500 | Sigrid Undset | Wreath |
NOK 1000 | Edvard Munch | Sun |
Pakistan
The official currency of Pakistan is the Pakistani rupee. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
PKR 5 | M. Ali Jinnah | Gwadar Sea Port, Gawadar, Balochistan. |
PKR 10 | M. Ali Jinnah | Entrance to the Khyber Pass, Khyber Agency, FATA. |
PKR 20 | M. Ali Jinnah | Mohenjo-daro near Larkana |
PKR 50 | M. Ali Jinnah | Karakoram 2 mountain in Gilgit Baltistan |
PKR 100 | M. Ali Jinnah | Quaid-e-Azam's Residency in Ziarat |
PKR 500 | M. Ali Jinnah | Badshahi Mosque in Lahore |
PKR 1000 | M. Ali Jinnah | Islamia College Peshawar in Peshawar |
PKR 5000 | M. Ali Jinnah | Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad |
Paraguay
The official currency of Paraguay is the Paraguayan guaraní. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
PYG 1000 | Francisco Solano López | Oratorio de la Virgen de la Asunción and Panteón Nacional de los Héroes |
PYG 2000 | Adela and Celsa Speratti | Parade with flags |
PYG 5000 | Carlos Antonio López | Palacio de los López |
PYG 10,000 | José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia | Historical scene from 1811 |
PYG 20,000 | Paraguayan woman | Central Bank of Paraguay building in Asunción |
PYG 50,000 | Paraguayan soldier | Casa de la Independencia |
PYG 50,000 | Agustín Pío Barríos | Guitar labeled "Mangore" |
PYG 100,000 | Roque González de Santa Cruz | The Itaipu Dam |
Peru
The official currency of Peru is the Peruvian nuevo sol. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse |
PEN 10 | José Quiñones Gonzales |
PEN 20 | Raúl Porras Barrenechea |
PEN 50 | Abraham Valdelomar Pinto |
PEN 100 | Jorge Basadre Grohmann |
PEN 200 | Saint Rose of Lima |
Philippines
The official currency of the Philippines is the Philippine peso. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
PHP 5 | Emilio Aguinaldo | Scene from the Philippine Declaration of Independence |
PHP 10 | Apolinario Mabini | Barasoain Church |
PHP 10 | Apolinario Mabini and Andres Bonifacio | Barasoain Church and the initiation rites of the Katipunan |
PHP 20 | Manuel L. Quezon, Declaration of Filipino as the national language, Malacañan Palace | Banaue Rice Terraces, palm civet, Cordilleras weave design |
PHP 50 | Sergio Osmeña, First Philippine Assembly, Leyte Landing | Taal Lake in Batangas, giant trevally, Batangas embroidery design |
PHP 100 | Manuel A. Roxas, Old BSP building in Intramuros, Manila, Inauguration of the Third Philippine Republic | Mayon Volcano in Albay, Whale shark, Bicol textile design |
PHP 200 | Diosdado P. Macapagal, EDSA People Power 2001, Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite, Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan, the swearing-in of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as president | Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Philippine tarsier, Visayas weave design |
PHP 500 | Corazon C. Aquino, Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., EDSA People Power I, Benigno Aquino monument in Makati City | Subterranean Underground River in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, blue-naped parrot, Southern Philippines cloth design |
PHP 1000 | José Abad Santos, Vicente Lim, Josefa Llanes Escoda; Centennial celebration of Philippine independence; Medal of Honor, which was awarded to Abad Santos, Lim, and Escoda | Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Sulu Sea, South Sea pearl, Mindanao design for Tinalak |
Poland
The official currency of Poland is the Polish złoty. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
PLN 10 | Mieszko I | Silver coin from the reign of Mieszko I |
PLN 20 | Boleslaus I the Brave | Silver coin from the reign of Boleslaus I |
PLN 50 | Casimir III the Great | Eagle from the royal seal of Casimir III |
PLN 100 | Wladislaus II Jagiełło | Eagle from the tombstone of Wladislaus II |
PLN 200 | Sigismund I the Old | Eagle from the Sigismund Chapel, Wawel Hill |
PLN 500 | John III Sobieski | Eagle from the royal seal of John III Sobieski, Wilanów Palace |
Romania
The official currency of Romania is the Romanian leu. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
RON 1 | Nicolae Iorga, Coat of arms of Romania at top left | Wallachian eagle at left |
RON 5 | George Enescu, Coat of arms of Romania at top left | Romanian Athenaeum concert hall at left, A fragment of the score of the Enescu's opera King Oedipus above. A musician's piano at centre right. |
RON 10 | Nicolae Grigorescu, A mountain flower edelweiss, an aircraft propeller, Coat of arms of Romania at top left | Mountain eagle head, "Vlaicu II" aircraft design and "Gnome" engine sketch |
RON 100 | Ion Luca Caragiale, Comedy masks and a violet flower | Old building of the Bucharest National Theatre, Caragiale's statue at left |
RON 200 | Lucian Blaga, Coat of arms of Romania at top left, poppies | A watermill and the Hamangia Thinker |
RON 500 | Mihai Eminescu, Lime tree blossoms, a quill and an inkpot | Timpul newspaper, University Library in Iaşi |
Russia
The official currency of Russia is the Russian ruble. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
RUB 10 | Krasnoyarsk, cathedral | Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric plant |
RUB 50 | Sculpture from Rostral Column | Former stock exchange building |
RUB 100 | Sculpture from Bolshoi Theatre | The Bolshoi Theatre |
RUB 500 | Peter the Great, port | Solovetsky Monastery |
RUB 1000 | Yaroslav the Wise | Church of the Precursor |
RUB 5000 | Nikolay Muravyov-Amursky | Bridge of Amur |
Serbia
The official currency of Serbia is the Serbian dinar. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
RSD 10 | Vuk Stefanović Karadžić | First Slavic Congress in Prague |
RSD 20 | Petar II Petrović Njegoš | Njegoš' figure, Mount Lovćen |
RSD 50 | Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac | Motif from Mokranjac's musical score |
RSD 100 | Nikola Tesla | Tesla's electro-magnetic induction engine |
RSD 200 | Nadežda Petrović | Gračanica monastery |
RSD 500 | Jovan Cvijić | Stylized ethnic motifs |
RSD 1000 | Ðorđe Vajfert | Interior of National Bank of Serbia building |
RSD 2000 | Milutin Milanković | Sun's disk; fragment of Milanković’s work |
RSD 5000 | Slobodan Jovanović | Interior of Serbian Parliament |
South Africa
The official currency of South Africa is the South African rand. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
ZAR 10 | Rhinoceros | Agriculture |
ZAR 10 | Nelson Mandela | Rhinoceros |
ZAR 20 | Elephant | Mining |
ZAR 20 | Nelson Mandela | Elephant |
ZAR 50 | Lion | Manufacturing |
ZAR 50 | Nelson Mandela | Lion |
ZAR 100 | Buffalo | Tourism |
ZAR 100 | Nelson Mandela | Buffalo |
ZAR 200 | Leopard | Transport and Communications |
ZAR 200 | Nelson Mandela | Leopard |
Sweden
The official currency of Sweden is the Swedish krona. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Description | Reverse | Description |
SEK 20 | Selma Lagerlöf | First female winner of the Nobel Prize for literature | Nils Holgersson | Lagerlöf character |
SEK 50 | Jenny Lind | Opera singer | Silver harp | |
SEK 100 | Carl Linnaeus | Founder of modern taxonomy | Bee pollinating a flower | Combines Linnaeus' interests in botany and zoology |
SEK 500 | King Charles XI | Bank of Sweden was founded during his reign | Christopher Polhem | Scientist and industrialist |
SEK 1000 | King Gustav Vasa | United the Swedes | Harvest by Olaus Magnus | Olaus was a historian of the northern peoples |
Switzerland
The official currency of Switzerland is the Swiss franc. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Description | Reverse |
CHF 10 | Le Corbusier | Architect | Le Corbusier's buildings in Chandigarh |
CHF 20 | Arthur Honegger | Composer | Elements from Honegger's Pacific 231 |
CHF 50 | Sophie Taeuber-Arp | Painter and sculptor | Taeuber-Arp's Dada Head |
CHF 100 | Alberto Giacometti | Painter and sculptor | Giacometti's Man Walking |
CHF 200 | Charles Ferdinand Ramuz | Writer | Swiss mountains and Lavaux area |
CHF 1000 | Jacob Burckhardt | Historian | Detail from the Palazzo Strozzi |
Republic of China (Taiwan)
The official currency of Taiwan is the New Taiwan dollar. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
TWD 100 | Sun Yat-sen | Chung-Shan Building |
TWD 200 | Chiang Kai-shek | The Office of the President |
TWD 500 | Youth baseball | Formosan sika deer and Dabajian Mountain |
TWD 1000 | Elementary education | Mikado pheasant and Jade Mountain |
TWD 2000 | FORMOSAT-1, technology | Formosan landlocked salmon and Nanhu Mountain |
Thailand
The official currency of Thailand is the Thai Baht. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
THB 20 | King Bhumibol Adulyadej | King Ram Khamhaeng on the Manangkhasila Asana Throne; Ramkhamhaeng stele |
THB 50 | King Bhumibol Adulyadej | King Naresuan pouring water on the ground; Phra Chedi Chai Mongkol temple |
THB 100 | King Bhumibol Adulyadej | King Taksin monument in Wongwian Yai, Phra Ratchawang Doem, Wichai Prasit Fort |
THB 500 | King Bhumibol Adulyadej | King Buddha Yodfa Chulalok monument, Wat Pho, Phra Sumen Fort |
THB 1000 | King Bhumibol Adulyadej | Pa Sak Jolasid Dam |
Turkey
The official currency of Turkey is the Turkish lira. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse | Description |
TRY 5 | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk | Aydın Sayılı | Historian of science |
TRY 10 | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk | Cahit Arf | Mathematician |
TRY 20 | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk | Mimar Kemaleddin | Architect |
TRY 50 | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk | Fatma Aliye Topuz | Writer |
TRY 100 | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk | Buhurizade Itri | Composer |
TRY 200 | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk | Yunus Emre | Poet |
Ukraine
The official currency of Ukraine is the Ukrainian hryvnia. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Description | Reverse |
UAH 1 | Volodymyr the Great | First Christian ruler | Kiev in the time of Kievan Rus' |
UAH 2 | Yaroslav the Wise | Prince of Kievan Rus' | Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev |
UAH 5 | Bohdan Khmelnytskyi | Father of the nation | A church in Subotiv |
UAH 10 | Ivan Mazepa | National hero | Cave Monastery in Kiev |
UAH 20 | Ivan Franko | Writer and thinker | Opera house in Lviv |
UAH 50 | Mykhailo Hrushevsky | Historian and statesman | Parliament building in Kyiv |
UAH 100 | Taras Shevchenko | Writer, artist, founder of modern written Ukrainian language | Dnieper |
UAH 200 | Lesya Ukrainka | Writer | Fortress in Lutsk |
UAH 500 | Hryhoriy Skovoroda | Philosopher and composer | Mohyla Academy in Kiev |
United Kingdom
The currency of the UK is the pound sterling, represented by the symbol £. The Bank of England is the central bank, responsible for issuing currency. Banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland retain the right to issue their own notes, subject to retaining enough Bank of England notes in reserve to cover the issue.England
The official currency of England is the pound sterling. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse | Description |
GBP 5 | Queen Elizabeth II | Elizabeth Fry | Social reformer |
GBP 10 | Queen Elizabeth II | Charles Darwin | Scientist |
GBP 20 | Queen Elizabeth II | Adam Smith | Economist |
GBP 50 | Queen Elizabeth II | James Watt and Matthew Boulton | Industrial Engineers |
Scotland
The official currency of Scotland is the Pound sterling. Under Scottish legislation, banknotes are issued by commercial banks, not the government. The motifs issued by the Bank of Scotland are:Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
GBP 5 | Sir Walter Scott | vignette of oil and energy |
GBP 5 | Sir Walter Scott | Brig o' Doon |
GBP 10 | Sir Walter Scott | vignette of distilling and brewing |
GBP 10 | Sir Walter Scott | Glenfinnan Viaduct |
GBP 20 | Sir Walter Scott | vignette of education and research |
GBP 20 | Sir Walter Scott | Forth Bridge |
GBP 50 | Sir Walter Scott | vignette of arts and culture |
GBP 50 | Sir Walter Scott | Falkirk Wheel |
GBP 100 | Sir Walter Scott | vignette of leisure and tourism |
GBP 100 | Sir Walter Scott | Kessock Bridge |
The Royal Bank of Scotland issues:
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
GBP 1 | Lord Ilay | Edinburgh Castle |
GBP 5 | Lord Ilay | Culzean Castle |
GBP 10 | Lord Ilay | Glamis Castle |
GBP 20 | Lord Ilay | Brodick Castle |
GBP 50 | Lord Ilay | Inverness Castle |
GBP 100 | Lord Ilay | Balmoral Castle |
The Clydesdale Bank issues:
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
GBP 5 | Robert Burns | vignette of mouse and rose |
GBP 5 | Alexander Fleming | vignette of St. Kilda |
GBP 10 | Mary Slessor | vignette of Nigeria and missionary work |
GBP 10 | Robert Burns | vignette of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh |
GBP 20 | Robert the Bruce | vignette of Bruce, Wallace, Stirling Castle |
GBP 20 | Robert the Bruce | vignette of the New Lanark textile factory |
GBP 50 | Adam Smith | vignette of 18th century engineering and agriculture |
GBP 50 | Elsie Inglis | vignette of the Antonine Wall |
GBP 100 | Lord Kelvin | Kelvin's university lecture room |
GBP 100 | Charles Rennie Macintosh | vignette of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, Maes Howe rock monuments, Ceremonial stone circles of Stennes and Brodgar and the Skara Brae rock formation |
United States
The official currency of the United States is the United States dollar. The motifs used are:Denomination | Obverse | Description | Reverse |
USD 1 | George Washington | First President | Great Seal of the United States |
USD 2 | Thomas Jefferson | Third President | Declaration of Independence |
USD 5 | Abraham Lincoln | 16th President | Lincoln Memorial |
USD 10 | Alexander Hamilton | First Secretary of the Treasury | Treasury Building |
USD 20 | Andrew Jackson | Seventh President | White House |
USD 50 | Ulysses S. Grant | 18th President | Capitol |
USD 100 | Benjamin Franklin | Founding Father | Independence Hall |