Currency of Cape Verde 200 Escudos banknote 1992 Schooner
Bank of Cape Verde - Banco de Cabo Verde
On the front of the note is an illustration of the Palhabote ‘Ernestina’ (Two-masted Schooner ‘Ernestina’). During the first half of the nineteenth century, whaling ships from the United States of America commenced enlisting crews from the Cape Verde Islands. Some of these sailors ultimately settled around Bedford, Massachusetts, and a Cape Verdean community in the United States was established. Immigration began between Cape Verde and Massachusetts and, as the age of steam arrived, many old sailing boats came on to the market at good prices. Members of the Cape Verdean community in America bought ships and arranged for further immigration of people from Cape Verde. One of the vessels was the ‘Ernestina’, which was built in 1894 (as the ‘Effie M. Morrissey’) and ultimately sold to Henrique Mendes of Cape Verde in 1948. In 1982 the 112-foot schooner was donated by the government of Cape Verde to the United States of America as a symbol of co-operation between the two governments. (Note: In the illustration the Ernestina is flying the international code pennant for ‘I am altering my course for port’.)
In the upper right corner, reading upwards, there’s the text “8 de Agosto de 1992” (August 8, 1992), the anniversary of the Ernestina’s first voyage with passengers to the United States of America.
In the left third, there’s the watermark with the effigy of Amilcar Cabral. 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.
In the lower left corner and immediately after the ear of corn, there’s the series number, consisting of figures which are differentiated and aligned horizontally. The same series number is also on the right side of the note, reading downwards.
A collage of forms of communication, with emphasis on aviation, forms the illustration on the back of this note. One of the aircraft depicted is a ‘Cape Verde Airlines’ aircraft. Although there is an airport at the capital of Praia, which receives regular flights from Dakar in Senegal, the Amilcar Cabral International Airport at Espargos on the island of Sal is the principal airport for the country. Sal is a low flat island and is the third smallest island in Cape Verde.
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: 129 x 67 mm.
Predominant Color: Green.
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.