 |
| Estonian 500 krooni banknote |
 |
| Estonian 500 krooni bill - 500 EEK |
Currency of Estonia 500 Estonian kroon banknote 2000
Bank of Estonia - Eesti Pank
Obverse: The front side of the 500-kroon banknote features CARL ROBERT JAKOBSON (1841–1882) – a leading figure of the national awakening movement, politician and active writer on issues of general interest and importance. He wrote textbooks that were highly appreciated in Estonian schools for decades. In 1878, C. R. Jakobson established a political newspaper Sakala with literary and agricultural supplements. The paper quickly became a vital promoter of the national and cultural awakening taking place in Estonia at the time. His farm in Kurgja set an example to Estonian farmers due to the novel techniques he used in agriculture. To the right of the portrait there is a motif of the newspaper’s title; below, a sheaf bound with a yellow ribbon is depicted. The text on the ribbon says: “Written by C. R. Jakobson”. To the left of the ribbon is a woman with a sickle and to the right a man with a scythe. Signatures: Governor Vahur Kraft and Chairman of the Board Mart Sõrg.
Reverse: The back side of the banknote features a view of the South Estonian landscape with forests, meadows and a lake. In the foreground, the Estonian national bird – the barn swallow – is flying.
Right-hand side: a watermark depicting the portrait of C. R. Jakobson; the watermark can be seen when the banknote is held against the light.
In 2000, an additional series of 500-kroon banknotes was printed by the German printing house Bundesdruckerei GmbH. The 500-kroon banknotes printed in 1996 were not modern anymore in terms of their security features. The design of the new series was adjusted to a certain extent and some more advanced security elements were applied. The watermark with three lions was replaced with a watermark depicting the portrait of C. R. Jakobson. A security element for the visually impaired
was added representing the letter J in Morse code. To the right of the portrait
there is still the motif of the title of Sakala; however a text has been added below the title: “Science and law in the field” („Teadus ja seadus põllul”) which is the heading of the first Estonian study material in agriculture written by C. R. Jakobson.
The kroon was reintroduced as Estonia's currency on 20 June 1992, replacing the Soviet ruble at a rate of 1 kroon = 10 rubles. (Each person was able to change maximally 1500 rubles to 150 kroons.) Initially, the Estonian kroon was pegged to the Deutsche Mark at a rate of 8 krooni = 1 Deutsche Mark. After the introduction of the euro the fixed exchange rate of 1.95583 DEM to EUR led to an exchange rate of 15.64664 krooni to the euro. On 27 June 2004, as Estonia joined the ERM II-system, the central parity of the Estonian kroon was revalued (by less than 0.001%) to 15.6466 krooni per euro. On 1 January 2011 the euro replaced the kroon as the official currency of Estonia. The kroon circulated alongside the euro until 15 January 2011 at which point it ceased to be legal tender. The Eesti Pank will indefinitely exchange kroon banknotes and coins in any amount into euro.From the beginning of 2012 kroons can be exchanged for euros at the Eesti Pank Museum at the central exchange rate (1 euro = 15.6466 Estonian kroons) and without any service fee, in unlimited amounts and for an unlimited period of time.
Estonian kroon banknotes
Bank of Estonia - Eesti Pank