Taiwan marked half a century of the New Taiwan dollar with a note printed not on paper but on plastic. The new currency was born on 15 June 1949, when the currency reform exchanged 40,000 old yuan for one new dollar, and in June 1999 it turned fifty; the commemorative 50 yuan was issued for that date.

The face is designed as a story of the road travelled. Two banknotes appear side by side, the earliest one-yuan note and the 1987 hundred of the «Hua III» series, against a background of a bridge, an expressway, a railway, electronics and communication networks, symbols of how the island changed over fifty years.

The back shows the Central Bank building surrounded by traditional ornaments that embody Chinese culture. The commemorative issue numbered 30 million notes.

The note has a special fate. When the old Bank of Taiwan money was withdrawn after 30 June 2002, the Central Bank made an exception for this 50 yuan and kept it valid.

An anniversary note that depicts other banknotes, it is a centrepiece of a Taiwan collection and a striking exhibit for «polymer banknotes» and «money on money» sets; paired with the 1987 hundred it shows both the original and its portrait. UNC condition means the note has never circulated: no folds, no wear, no soiling, even corners — just as it left the press.

Other banknotes of this country and issues on related themes can be found in the VPcoins catalogue.