Currency of the Dominican Republic 50 Pesos Dominicanos banknote 2014
Central Bank of the Dominican Republic - Banco Central de la República Dominicana
Dominican Republic Banknotes - Dominican Republic Paper Money
Dominican Republic Banknotes - Dominican Republic Paper Money
Signatures: Hector Valdez Albizu (Gobernador del Banco Central) and Simón Lizardo Mézquita (Secretario de Estado de Finanzas).
Reverse: Vignette of the main facade of the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of Altagracia (Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia in Salvaleón de Higüe), toward the left-hand side of the banknote.
Texts: Banco Central de la Republica Dominicana. Este billete tiene fuerza liberatoria para el pago de todas las obligaciones publicas o privadas. Gobernador del Banco Central. Secretario de Estado de Hacienda. Cincuenta Pesos Oro. Dios. Patria. Libertad.
Watermark: The watermark on the banknote shows the image of patriot Juan Pablo Duarte, which can be observed by holding the banknote against the light. The image is neither drawn nor printed. It was incorporated into the body of the paper during its manufacture; therefore, it is an integral part of the paper.
Dimensions: 152 x 67 mm.
Security Features:
1. Latent Image (hidden): The effect of this image is created through the process of Intaglio printing. The shadows caused by microscopic channeling and slots create an image that is only perceivable when observed under a light, at a 45-degree angle.
2. Mark for the Visually Impaired: It consists in the placement of a geometric figure in bas relief along the lower left-hand edge of the banknotes.
3. Micro-printing: Small-letter inscriptions which, upon simple inspection, resemble a solid line but can only be deciphered if seen through a magnifying lens.
4. Asymmetrical horizontal numbering: Numbering characterized by ascending type fonts; each letter and numbering is of a different and increasing size.
5. Year of printing: The year in which the banknote was printed is located on the front of the banknotes and helps identify the series to which it belongs.
6. Vertical numbering: Numbering appears in the form of printing same-size letters in a vertical line along the right-hand edge of the banknotes.
7. Security thread with clear text: A thin thread made of synthetic material, printed with a clear text, is inserted within the paper’s mass. The banknote’s denomination is spelled out in the text and it can only be read by holding the banknote against the light. As of 2001, the thread appears on the front of the banknote, over the paper’s surface, in the form of bars that are alternatively shiny and reflective, extending from one end of the banknote to the other. The thread can also be seen on the back of the banknote, inside the paper’s mass, yet without the reflective surfaces.
8. Optical variable ink: The banknotes are printed in optical variable ink which changes color depending on the viewing angle.
9. Watermark: The watermark on the banknote shows the image of patriot Juan Pablo Duarte, which can be observed by holding the banknote against the light. The image is neither drawn nor printed. It was incorporated into the body of the paper during its manufacture; therefore, it is an integral part of the paper.
10. Optical variable band: An optical variable band has been placed on the back of the banknotes. When the banknote is held flat, the band appears in a golden color and tends to disappear when the banknote changes position.
Dominican Republic Banknotes - Dominican Republic Paper Money
Peso Dominicano System
2011-2013 Issue & 2014-2015 Modified Design Issue
50 Pesos Dominicanos 100 Pesos Dominicanos 200 Pesos Dominicanos
Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor
The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo is dedicated to St. Mary of the Incarnation. It is the oldest cathedral in the Americas, begun in 1512 and completed in 1540. It is the Cathedral of the Archbishop of Santo Domingo who has the honorary title of Primate of the Americas because Santo Domingo was the first Catholic diocese established in the New World.
It is located between Calle Arzobispo Merino and Isabel la Católica, next to Columbus Park in the city of Santo Domingo de Guzman.
The Cathedral is fronted with a golden-tinted coral limestone façade, the church combines elements of both Gothic and Baroque with some lavish plateresque styles as exemplified by the high altar chiseled out of silver. There is also a treasury which has an excellent art collection of ancient woodcarvings, furnishings, funerary monuments, silver, and jewelry.
History
The Cathedral was commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1504 and its construction began in 1512 under the leadership of Bishop Fray García Padilla. The arrival of Bishop Alexander Geraldini in 1519 motivated the construction of a temple of greater solemnity, so it was decided to build the current church, whose foundation stone was laid in 1521. The construction was carried out by Luis Moya, according to plans designed by Alonso Rodriguez, of Seville, Spain. By 1523, the construction achieved continuous progress until its consecration in 1541. On February 12, 1546, at the request of Emperor Charles V, Pope Paul III granted the status of Metropolitan Cathedral and Primate of the Americas. Francis Drake when he captured the city in 1586, used the cathedral as his headquarters and saved it from destruction. It was also the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, which bore the aforementioned title of Primate. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV designated the Cathedral a Minor Basilica in his Inter Americae.
Architecture
The first noticeable feature of the structure are the solid limestone walls and three doors, two of which are gothic and the third main door which is plateresque. There are twelve side chapels, three aisles and a nave. The roof of the nave is pitched, while the aisles have cross vaulted ceilings. The length of the basilica is 54 metres (177 ft), the width of each of the three aisles is 23 metres (75 ft), the height to the vaulted ceilings is 16 metres (52 ft) and the total area is 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft). All of the side chapels were not included in the original footprint of the building, rather they were appended with time.
The cathedral has a treasury containing retablos, paintings, old woodwork, furniture, sculptures and tombstones. There are pieces that were involved with the funeral proceedings of several colonial archbishops. Interestingly, there is a tombstone of Simon Bolivar, one of the ancestors of the Liberator Simon Bolivar. Of note, the remains of Christopher Columbus were once housed at the cathedral, before their final resting place in the Faro a Colon.
Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of Altagracia
The Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and cathedral in Dominican Republic dedicated to Our Lady of Altagracia, patroness of the nation. It is in Salvaleón de Higüey. The basilica is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia en Higüey.
The cathedral was raised to the honor of a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI on December 17, 1970. It was visited by Pope John Paul II during his visit to the country in 1992.
Among the many reasons that inspired its creation, there is one that stands out. A long time ago a little girl from same city asked her father for a portrait of the Virgin Mary. Her father (name unknown) brought the picture as gift for her. It is believed that the portrait was placed at the house of this girl. For some reason, at the break of dawn of each day, the portrait was always found outside the house, beneath a small tree. Every day this portrait was moved back inside by the girl, until she told her parents about it. The place became sacred, and the basilica was built on that same spot as reference of Mary's grace.