It will be gradually distributed across the country from August 16.
Today, the BCRA has launched the new ARS50 banknote featuring the Andean condor, an emblematic bird of the Andes mountain range and neighboring hills in Argentina. The banknote will be gradually distributed through the network of bank branches from tomorrow, August 16. The new banknote will circulate alongside the current banknote of the same denomination.
The Andean condor is the fifth animal of the Argentina’s Native Fauna series after the rufous hornero (ARS1000) and the guanaco (ARS20), launched in 2017; and the southern right whale (ARS200) and the jaguar (ARS500), released in 2016. This new series highlights our country’s great natural riches and attaches importance to its conservation, while also improving and renovating the money in circulation in Argentina.
Like all the banknotes of this new series, the new banknote contains strict security features, such as a watermark—which shows the condor’s image and, in the lower part, the face value “50”—and a security thread within which the words “$50 BCRA” appear repeatedly along a strip. The new banknote presents a see-through register: half of the bird’s footprint printed, on the left of the watermark, fits exactly with the other half of the image on the reverse side. The intaglio printing shows a picture of the condor and the code for the visually impaired stand out in relief. Finally, the images printed in blue turn into yellow luminescence under UV light.
Its design is that of the new banknote series. The obverse side of the banknote portrays a vertical layout of the condor and the reverse side shows an artistic recreation of its habitat in a horizontal position. The main colors are black and gray, and the size is the same as that of the Peso Line, with 95 g/m2 cotton paper. In addition, at the bottom left-hand corner, there is a picture of a condor chick as an element dedicated to children.
The new ARS50 banknote pays tribute to the condor, an emblematic bird of the Andes range which is currently an endangered species. The habitat of the condor in Argentina stretches from south to north in the mountain range, and also covers hills in Córdoba and San Luis provinces. Condors may be up to 142 cm tall and have a wingspan of up to 330 cm, which makes it the largest bird on the planet. Condors feed on carrion, thereby helping to preserve the environmental balance. They can fly really high, using air currents to easily reach 7,000 meters above sea level and soaring for hundreds of kilometers.
As customary, the banknote was officially presented in the region where the animal lives. The ARS50 banknote was launched today in the Divisadero Largo Natural Reserve, in the outskirts of Mendoza city. The banknote was presented by Francisco Gismondi, Member of the Board of the BCRA, and Humberto Mingorance, Secretary of Environment and Territory of Mendoza. Other authorities of the BCRA and the provincial government were also present, along with representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) dedicated to the preservation of the Andean condor.
New Banknote Series
It consists of six banknotes featuring the rufous hornero, the jaguar, the southern right whale, the taruca, the Andean condor and the guanaco. The obverse side of each banknote features the image of an animal native to each Argentine region, while the reverse side depicts the habitat of each species. The new banknote series thus represents a meeting point, with our fauna at the core, and seeks to strengthen our commitment to the environment.
Introducing a new banknote series allows for renewing money in circulation, more efficiently and cutting printing costs. The BCRA is conducting this cash improvement plan while also developing new electronic means of payment, which also lead to a significant reduction in costs, an increase in security and greater financial inclusion.
