10 Rupees SCR #476

Front

Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), a critically endangered marine species found in Seychelles waters and protected under national and international law. The hawksbill is among the most iconic wildlife symbols of the Seychelles archipelago, historically threatened by shell trade and now a conservation priority. The turtle motif appears both as a watermark and as the central design element, representing the nation's marine biodiversity and environmental heritage.

Back

Central Bank of Seychelles headquarters building in Victoria, designed in modernist style and opened in the late 1970s following the nation's independence and establishment of its own central banking authority. The vignette at right depicts traditional Seychellois agriculture with a farmer tending coconuts beneath coco-de-mer palms, representing the foundation of the islands' economy. At left, workers sort and transport copra (dried coconut kernels), historically the principal export commodity of Seychelles before tourism development.

History

This note belongs to the first series issued by the Central Bank of Seychelles following the republic's independence in 1976 and the subsequent nationalization of the banking system. The series was introduced in 1979 under President France-Albert René's socialist government and circulated until the late 1980s when it was replaced by a redesigned series. The denomination 'TEN RUPEES' appears in English with the trilingual inscription pattern (English, French, Creole) reflecting Seychelles' multilingual heritage. The signature is that of Guy Morel, who served as Governor of the Central Bank during the 1980s. The note emphasizes national symbols of environmental conservation and agricultural economy during the early post-independence period. Standard Catalog reference P-23 with several signature and date variants documented within the series run.