Relief feature
A feature for the partially sighted that feels rough to the touch
Image of Mykhailo Hrushevsky
The main image on the front of the note – a portrait of Mykhailo Hrushevsky – has been moved to the center of the note
An image of the Central Council building
The central design element is the Central Council building, on both sides of which are the figures of a worker and a peasant woman
An image of the Central Council building
The central design element is the Central Council building, on both sides of which are the figures of a worker and a peasant woman
Security thread
A stripe, imbedded into the paper, on which direct and inverse images can be seen under a magnifying glass
Security thread
A stripe, imbedded into the paper, on which direct and inverse images can be seen under a magnifying glass
See-through register
A complete image of the denomination that appears when the note is held up to the light
See-through register
A complete image of the denomination that appears when the note is held up to the light
Optically-variable feature
A conventionalized image of a flag that changes color from crimson-purple to olive-green when the banknote is tilted
Optically-variable feature
A conventionalized image of a flag that changes color from crimson-purple to olive-green when the banknote is tilted
Mykhailo Hrushevsky is one of the most prominent figures of the 20th century. He shaped Ukrainian history, on the one hand, as the author of the multi-volume History of Ukraine-Rus, and on the other hand, as a civic and political activist and chair of the Central Council.
It was Mykhailo Hrushevsky who became the first head of the Ukrainian state, which signed the edict of independence in 1918.
“Making history well is more important than recording it well,” he said during the turbulent times of the liberation movement of 1914–1918.
“We have not lived in vain, our time has not passed without leaving a trace,” Hrushevsky also noted in his memoirs.
The achievements of Hrushevsky and his allies set an example for future generations of Ukrainians, which managed to gain independence after all.
Watermarks
A multi-tone watermark is a repeated Mykhailo Hrushevsky’s portrait formed by the paper internal texture in different tones; the light watermark element is the numerical indication of the denomination (vertical, in the right bottom part of the multi-tone watermark).
Security thread
A polymer stripe that has a magnetic code and is fully imbedded into the paper, on which the words “UAH 50,” an element of Ukraine’s small coat of arms (the trident), and the underlined numeral “50” can be seen as direct and inverse transparent images under a magnifying glass.
See-through register
The elements of the denomination numerals that supplement each other and form the full image when the banknote is held up to the light.
Optically-variable ink
A stylized image of a flag depicted to the right of Mykhailo Hrushevsky’s portrait. When the banknote is tilted, the color of the flower changes from crimson-purple to olive-green.
Latent image
Numerical indication of denomination: When the banknote is held at a sharp angle to the light at eye level, the denomination numerals become visible and are:
Relief feature
Graphic images on the banknote front which as a result of raised printing feel rough to the touch, as in the following examples:
Microlettering
Repeated inscriptions that can only be read under a magnifying glass.
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When will new 50 hryvnia banknotes come into circulation?
The new 50 hryvnia banknotes will be introduced into circulation on 20 December 2019.
Will the old 50 hryvnia banknotes be withdrawn from circulation?
No, the 2004 and 2019 design banknotes will be in parallel circulation. After the introduction of the new 50-hryvnia banknote, the public will not need to exchange the older bills for the new ones.
The NBU will replace the worn out and damaged 50 hryvnia banknotes of the 2004 design with the new banknotes. More new 50 hryvnia banknotes will gradually come into circulation to replace the worn-out ones.
How exactly has the banknote changed?
The new banknotes feature the design features of the new-generation 20-, 100-, 500-, and 1,000-hryvnia bills. The new 50 hryvnia banknotes have preserved the main images of the 2004 banknote. In particular, the portrait of Mykhailo Hrushevsky is depicted on the obverse, while the Ukrainian Central Council building remains on the reverse. Mykhailo Hrushevsky’s portrait was moved to the banknote’s center (which was previously on the right side). The size of the new banknote hasn’t changed, remaining 69х130 mm. The color range is the same.
Is the introduction of the new banknotes related to the large number of counterfeits?
The NBU is striving to enhance the reliability of Ukrainian banknotes. Under international standards, banknotes and coins must be renewed with certain time intervals in order to minimize or completely prevent fraudster attempts to counterfeit the banknotes. The security features of hryvnia banknotes are on par with those of the world’s leading currencies. At that, the number of counterfeit hryvnia banknotes withdrawn from circulation remains consistently low. For example, a bit more than a thousand 50 hryvnia banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in 2018.
If the main reason for updating the banknote series is the improvement of security features, does this mean that the 50 hryvnia banknotes of old design have poor protection?
Ukrainian money of all years of issue are well-secured. However, the NBU has worked more persistently on improving the banknotes’ security features with the emergence of new technologies.
Security features of the new 50 hryvnia banknote have improved from the 2004 design. In particular, the bills have more pronounced embossed elements, including features for visually impaired individuals. The UV and IR protection of the bills has also been improved. The serial number is printed in black – using a font in which characters vary in height – runs vertically down the right edge of the bill’s reverse.
How many worn-out 50 hryvnia banknotes did the NBU destroy in 2018?
The exchange of the worn-out banknotes for the new ones is an ongoing process. Overall, the NBU withdraws from circulation annually about 800 million worn-out banknotes of all denominations. Nearly half of them are low-denomination banknotes (1 to 20 hryvnias).
In 2018, the NBU disposed of 115.7 million bills of 50 hryvnia banknotes unfit for circulation, worth a total of UAH 5.8 billion. This is almost 17.5% of the total number of worn-out banknotes withdrawn from circulation.
How many 50 hryvnia banknotes are now in circulation?
As of 1 October 2019, the number of 50 hryvnia notes in circulation stood at nearly 161.5 million (some 5.75% of total banknotes in circulation).
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