Portuguese Guinea — 50 Escudos 1971

Regular banknote with a denomination of 50 escudos, issued on 17 December 1971 by Banco Nacional Ultramarino for the Portuguese colony of Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau). This is one of the last issues of the colonial period before independence in 1974–1975, printed in Lisbon as part of a series emphasizing Portuguese history and maritime traditions.

The obverse features the coat of arms of Portugal at the top center and a portrait of Nuno Tristão (15th-century Portuguese navigator, one of the first explorers of the West African coast) on the right. The main color is olive green on a multicolored background pattern. Inscriptions are in Portuguese.

The reverse shows a woman in traditional clothing standing on the left, with ships from different eras (from caravels to modern vessels) in the background, symbolizing Portugal’s maritime history and colonial expansion. The bank seal is in the lower left corner. Multicolor printing emphasizes olive green, yellow, and brown tones. The design highlights the colony’s connection to Portuguese navigation and colonial heritage.

Among the security features:

• watermark — portrait of Nuno Tristão
• solid security thread, visible when held to light
• microtext and intricate guilloche background patterns
• serial numbers with fluorescent properties under UV light

The banknote is of interest to collectors studying the paper money of Portuguese colonies in Africa, 20th-century colonial notaphily, African issues of the decolonization period, and the theme of the Age of Discovery.