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500 Afghanis
| Issuer | Bank of Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1948-1957 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#35 |
| Obverse description | Portrait vignette of King Muhammad Zahir Shah in military uniform positioned at left within an oval frame, set against an intricate guilloche underprint in green and blue tones. Arabic inscriptions and the bank title appear across the upper register, with the denomination numeral and text rendered in both Arabic-Indic and Western numerals at lower right. Two signature facsimiles are visible within the central text panel, with the serial number repeated at the top right and lower center. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Bradbury Wilkinson produced this note during a period when the Afghan government was actively courting Western economic relationships — the late 1940s and early 1950s saw Afghanistan negotiating infrastructure loans with both American and Soviet interests simultaneously, a balancing act that shaped even routine state decisions like contracting a British security printer. The 500 Afghani denomination placed this well above everyday transactional use; it was instrument-of-record currency, moving between merchants, government offices, and moneylenders rather than bazaar stalls.
P#35 spans nearly a decade of issue without significant design revision, which made it vulnerable to sophisticated counterfeiting by the mid-1950s.