Currency of Cape Verde 1000 Escudos banknote 1992 Warbler
Bank of Cape Verde - Banco de Cabo Verde
The illustration on the front of the 1000-escudo note is a drawing of an endangered indigenous bird of Cape Verde – "Acrocephalus Brevipenis Keulemans" (which is also the caption to the illustration). First recorded in 1866, the Cape Verde Warbler is a medium sized warbler of 14-16 centimetres. It is dun-brown above with warm buff belly and flanks and creamy throat and breast. With a long, pointed bill, black legs and toes, it has an explosive song with clear whistles and blurred churring, heard throughout the year. The Cape Verde warbler is confined to the islands of Santiago and São Nicolau where, despite its adaptation to artificial habitats, its population is declining as a result of successive droughts and an increasing human population. It is classified as an endangered bird.
In the upper left corner, there’s the stylization of an ear of corn, one of the elements of the Cape Verde escudo, which coincides with the same element – by transparency – on the back of the note. Also in the upper left corner and immediately after the ear of corn, there’s the series number, consisting of figures which are differentiated and aligned horizontally. In the other third, and in the upper right corner, there’s an ear of corn, one of the elements of the Cape Verde Escudo, which appears on a 1.2 mm thick silver band.
In the upper right corner, reading upwards, there’s the text "5 de Junho de 1992" (June ly 5, 1992), in celebration of World Environment Day and Year of the Environment.
Obviously complementing the theme of the environment, the illustration of the Desert Locust, that was used in the previous issue, is again used on this note. In the same third, beyond the watermark with the effigy of Amilcar Cabral and above the silver band, there’s the text “A Lei Pune o Contrafactor”.
Watermark: Amilcar Cabral.
Dimensions: 143 x 67 mm.
Predominant Color: Chestnut brown.
Cape Verde Banknotes - Cape Verde Paper Money
1992-2002 Issue
The changes wrought by the first government of the Movement for Democracy party (MpD) saw many changes to the symbols of Cape Verde. Not only were the flag and the national emblem changed, but a new series of banknotes was commissioned. While Amilcar Cabral was still recognized as a national hero, his portrait no longer appeared on the notes introduced under the new regime, although his image is retained in the watermark.
Again printed by De La Rue, the notes of the new series were apparently released in 1992, although the specific date of their release is not known. This series initially contained three denominations—200, 500, and 1000 escudos—but a further two denominations followed several years later. The two new denominations are the 2000 and 5000 escudo notes, with the denomination of 2500 escudos being discontinued.
The notes released in 1992 have many common features, being the same size and colour as the notes they replaced, although they no longer have a common illustration on the front. The perfect registration device of the cob of corn is continued from the previous series, as is the watermark of Amilcar Cabral, the clear security thread with ‘BCV’ micro-printed on it, the micro-printing of ‘BANCODECABOVERDE’, and the fluorescent features on the front and back of the notes. The latent image on each note is now simply the denomination of the note and the signatures are of José Tomás Wahnon Veiga, the Minister of Finance and Planning, and Oswaldo Miguel Sequeira, the Governor of the Bank of Cape Verde.
On the back of each note is the new national emblem. The central device consists of a circle, containing a representation of water (three stripes) and a triangle overlaid with a torch, and with a plumb-bob at the apex of the circle. This emblem is surrounded by ten stars (five left and five right), the leaves of a plant (bottom left and right), and three links of a chain (bottom). Arching over the triangle within the circle is ‘Republic of Cape Verde’ in Portuguese. The stars represent the main islands of Cape Verde; the plumb-bob is symbolic of rectitude and virtue; the torch and triangle represent unity and freedom.
Again printed by De La Rue, the notes of the new series were apparently released in 1992, although the specific date of their release is not known. This series initially contained three denominations—200, 500, and 1000 escudos—but a further two denominations followed several years later. The two new denominations are the 2000 and 5000 escudo notes, with the denomination of 2500 escudos being discontinued.
The notes released in 1992 have many common features, being the same size and colour as the notes they replaced, although they no longer have a common illustration on the front. The perfect registration device of the cob of corn is continued from the previous series, as is the watermark of Amilcar Cabral, the clear security thread with ‘BCV’ micro-printed on it, the micro-printing of ‘BANCODECABOVERDE’, and the fluorescent features on the front and back of the notes. The latent image on each note is now simply the denomination of the note and the signatures are of José Tomás Wahnon Veiga, the Minister of Finance and Planning, and Oswaldo Miguel Sequeira, the Governor of the Bank of Cape Verde.
On the back of each note is the new national emblem. The central device consists of a circle, containing a representation of water (three stripes) and a triangle overlaid with a torch, and with a plumb-bob at the apex of the circle. This emblem is surrounded by ten stars (five left and five right), the leaves of a plant (bottom left and right), and three links of a chain (bottom). Arching over the triangle within the circle is ‘Republic of Cape Verde’ in Portuguese. The stars represent the main islands of Cape Verde; the plumb-bob is symbolic of rectitude and virtue; the torch and triangle represent unity and freedom.
Cape Verde Warbler
The Cape Verde warbler (Acrocephalus brevipennis) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is also known as the Cape Verde cane warbler or Cape Verde swamp warbler, and in Creole as tchota-de-cana, chincherote, (also tchintchirote,). It breeds on Santiago, Fogo and S. Nicolau in the Cape Verde Islands. It previously bred on Brava. This small passerine bird is found in well-vegetated valleys, avoiding drier areas. It nests in reedbeds, two to three eggs being laid in a suspended nest.
Description
This is a medium-sized warbler, larger than the Eurasian reed warbler. It resembles that bird in appearance, grey-brown above, greyish-white below, with no obvious markings. The geographical isolation of the bird on the Cape Verde Islands prevents confusion with other similar species. The song is a distinctive liquid bubbling, like that of a bulbul.
Distribution and habitat
At one time it was thought that the Cape Verde warbler was restricted to the island of Santiago. After a specimen was found in a Lisbon museum, a survey was made on São Nicolau island in 1998 and some individuals were found there. In 2004 a further population was discovered on Fogo island and further survey found it was widespread across the north of the island up to altitudes of about 1,300 m. On Santiago it can be found across the whole island, including in Barragem de Poilão, S. Jorge, Serra Malagueta, Rui Vaz and Tarrafal. Although previously thought to be mainly restricted to woodland and scrub, it is now reported from a wider range of habitats including well-vegetated valleys, reedbeds, cultivated land and around water sources such as dams.
Status
The population trend of the Cape Verde warbler is thought to be declining, probably because of habitat destruction and the droughts that have beset the islands. With its restricted range and relatively small population, the conservation status of this bird has been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being "endangered".