Currency of Cape Verde 100 Escudos banknote 1977 Amilcar Cabral
Bank of Cape Verde - Banco de Cabo Verde
On the right, there’s the effigy of Amilcar Cabral, the founder of Cape Verdean nationality. Amílcar Cabral wearing a traditional skullcap known as a sumbia.
In the upper border, it has the inscription "Banco de Cabo Verde" in the dominant color, bounded on the left by the inscription “100”.
The lower border consists of three rectangular vignettes of unequal size, the outermost ones containing the inscription “100”. Crossing the central vignette and the entire height of the note, there is a security thread which can be seen through the transparency.
The note shows the common elements of the series, with the single distinguishing feature on the front of the notes being an illustration of a cimboa at the far left. A cimboa is a one-stringed fiddle played with a bow. Of West African origin, the cimboa was used as a musical accompaniment to the traditional music of the southern islands, particularly Santiago, called batuko. This is a rhythmic music that usually involves a group of women with one woman (and occasionally a man) leading the group in call-and-response songs, while members of the group clap hands or beat to the rhythm on rolled cloth. Often, one person will dance a torno, which is a dance involving rapid hip movements, while the batuko is being performed. The use of the cimboa is now uncommon.
Reverse: The composition consists of three panels, the left one being the reproduction of a painting of the Fogo volcano; the central panel corresponds to the watermark and the right one is the reproduction of a coffee plant and its fruit. In the area reserved for the watermark, there is a slight downward inflection, allowing for part of the word “Escudos” and the inscription “100” to appear printed on it.
The back of the 100-escudos note displays an illustration of Mount Cano. The mountain is actually a volcano on an island that was originally called São Filipe, but which is now commonly known as Fogo in deference to the volcano, as ‘fogo’ means ‘fire’. The volcano is the highest point in Cape Verde, at 9281 feet. The active volcano had major eruptions in 1680, 1847 and 1951. An eruption took place in March 1962 and the most recent eruption was in March 1995. The glow from the cone of the volcano has often been used by seafarers for navigation. A coffee plant in fruit is in the small panel at the far right (and the leaves of a coffee plant are also in the bottom left foreground of the illustration of the volcano).
Watermark: Amilcar Cabral.
Dimensions: 106.5 x 68 mm
Predominant Color: Red
Cape Verde Banknotes - Cape Verde Paper Money
20.01.1977 "Amilcar Cabral" Issue
100 Escudos 500 Escudos 1000 Escudos