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20 Afghanis
| Issuer | Bank of Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1948-1957 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | First afghani (1925-2003) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central vignette of the Royal Gardens and Victory Arch at Paghman, rendered in fine intaglio engraving and framed by tall cypress trees, set within a blue guilloche border. A large ornate blank watermark oval occupies the left field, while the denomination 20 appears in a latticework circle at right. The bank name in Pashto script runs along the top, with a multi-line Pashto inscription at the bottom. |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Bradbury Wilkinson produced this series for Kabul during a period when Afghanistan was actively modernizing its banking infrastructure under Da Afghanistan Bank, which had been formally established in 1939. The long date range — nearly a decade — reflects a deliberate policy of slow, staged introduction rather than a single issue event, with the notes circulating alongside older emissions as confidence in paper currency was gradually built among a population with strong preferences for metallic coinage.
Pick 31 is among the more commonly encountered Afghan notes from the period, though circulation wear is typically heavy. Watermark security was minimal by contemporary standards, appropriate for a country where counterfeiting infrastructure was extremely limited.