50 BYB #37

Front

The Pahonia, the historical coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and modern national symbol of Belarus, depicting an armored knight on horseback bearing a shield with a double cross and holding a raised sword. This heraldic emblem was adopted as the state symbol of the newly independent Republic of Belarus in 1991, representing the nation's historical heritage and sovereignty during its transition from Soviet rule.

Back

The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), a widespread species native to Belarusian forests and an important part of the country's natural heritage. The squirrel is shown in a characteristic pose holding food, with a traditional Belarusian folk ornament pattern in the upper left corner, combining natural imagery with cultural motifs typical of early post-independence Belarusian banknote design.

History

This note belongs to the first national currency series issued by the newly independent Republic of Belarus following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The 1992 series, denominated in 'kapeyka' (kapiejek), was introduced to establish monetary sovereignty but was quickly overtaken by hyperinflation. The Pahonia symbol was used on this series but was later replaced with more Soviet-era imagery in subsequent series. This first issue circulated from 1992 to 1994 before being replaced by higher denominations, and was eventually demonetized in 2000 when Belarus redenominated its currency.