The 500 shillings dated 2011 appeared in a turning-point year for Somaliland’s money: that year the Bank of Somaliland added 1,000 and 5,000 shilling notes to the range for the first time. The 500 design itself was printed for many years with changing dates — collectors meet notes of 2006, 2011 and 2016.

The front shows the main building of the Bank of Somaliland in Hargeisa. The back takes us to the port of Berbera: herdsmen with flocks of sheep and goats on the quay and ships behind them: livestock and the sea in a single scene.

A long-lived denomination with a recognisable harbour scene, it is a cornerstone of a Somaliland collection, and notes of different dates build a year-by-year line of their own; it also fits a topical set of ships and ports. UNC condition means the note has never circulated: no folds, no wear, no soiling, even corners — just as it left the press.

If this theme interests you, take a look at the other items in the VPcoins catalogue.