1 Pula

Botswana's first national currency, the pula, replaced the South African rand at par in 1976 following independence — a deliberate act of monetary separation from Pretoria at a time when Botswana's economic dependence on South Africa remained substantial. Thomas De La Rue handled the printing, as they did for the majority of newly independent African states in this period, and the watermark security was fairly minimal by even contemporary standards.

Pick 1 is the foundation issue of the entire Botswana series. The 1976–1979 date span reflects continued use of the same print run rather than multiple distinct printings.