500 Francs

Burundi's post-independence central bank leaned heavily on Thomas De La Rue for its early note production — a common arrangement for francophone African states in the 1960s and 70s where domestic printing infrastructure simply didn't exist. This series ran through an unusually long window for a single design, spanning eight years across a period when Burundi cycled through coups in 1966 and again in 1976, the latter effectively bookending the issue's lifespan.

Date variants within the P#24 series matter more than they might appear — notes signed under Micombero's military government carry different countersignatures than those issued closer to Bagaza's takeover.