500 IDR #263

Front

Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), the great ape native to Borneo and Sumatra, depicted at left in its natural forest habitat. The orangutan is an endangered species and an important symbol of Indonesia's tropical biodiversity. The note bears the Indonesian text 'ORANG UTAN' identifying the subject. The 1992 series represented Bank Indonesia's effort to showcase the nation's natural heritage and regional architectural diversity on its currency.

Back

Traditional Dayak longhouse (rumah adat) from East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur), identified by the inscription 'RUMAH ADAT KALIMANTAN TIMUR' at lower right. The longhouse is the characteristic communal dwelling of the indigenous Dayak peoples of Borneo, built on stilts with distinctive peaked roofs and intricate wooden carvings. These structures house multiple families and serve as centers of Dayak cultural and social life.

History

The 1992 series of Indonesian rupiah introduced a thematic approach pairing wildlife with regional traditional architecture (rumah adat) from across the archipelago. The 500 rupiah note featured the orangutan, an iconic endangered primate endemic to Indonesian and Malaysian Borneo, alongside the traditional longhouse of East Kalimantan's Dayak peoples. This series was issued by Bank Indonesia and printed by Perum Percetakan Uang RI (the State Money Printing Corporation). The notes remained in circulation through the late 1990s and were gradually withdrawn after 2000, with final demonetization occurring in 2010. The series is well-documented as Pick numbers 127–131.