Type details
| Country | Somalia |
| Currency | SOS |
| Denomination | 500 |
| Series range | 1989–1996 |
| Issue year | 1996 |
| Issuer | Central Bank of Somalia |
| Issuer (native) | البنك المركزي الصومالي |
| Reverse subject | Somali woman in traditional dress |
| Themes | architecture,indigenous_culture |
| Security features | intaglio,microprint |
| Colour palette | #d4a76a,#9cb89f,#e8d5c4 |
| Material | paper |
| Dimensions (mm) | 155x75 |
| Language / script | Latin and Arabic |
| Languages | so,ar,en |
| Pick # | R2 |
| Rarity | common |
| Legal status | demonetized |
| Legal status date | 1996 |
| Successor currency | Somaliland Shilling (unrecognized) |
| Era | 1990_present |
| Default value (low) | 5.0 |
| Default value (high) | 15.0 |
| Value currency | USD |
Front
The Mosque of Islamic Solidarity in Mogadishu, also known as Al-Jazira Mosque, featuring its distinctive tall minaret and Islamic architectural elements with horseshoe arches. This mosque was a major landmark in Somalia's capital and symbolized the country's Islamic heritage. The design incorporates traditional Islamic geometric patterns and architectural motifs representative of Somali mosque construction.
Back
Portrait of a Somali woman in traditional dress, representing Somali cultural identity and heritage. The back also features architectural elements including Islamic arches and decorative patterns, along with the date 'MUQDISHO 1991' (Mogadishu 1991) at bottom center. The imagery reflects traditional Somali culture during a period of significant political transition.
History
This 500 Somali Shilling note belongs to the series issued during Somalia's civil war period (1989–1996) by the Central Bank of Somalia. The note is marked 'MUQDISHO 1991' on the reverse, indicating the Mogadishu issue date. However, notes from this series continued to circulate through 1996. Following the collapse of the Siad Barre government in 1991, Somalia entered a prolonged period of civil conflict and state collapse. The Central Bank effectively ceased functioning, and by 1996 the Somali Shilling had largely been replaced by various regional currencies and foreign currencies in circulation. This note represents the final issues of the internationally recognized Central Bank of Somalia before the monetary system fragmented. The note's denomination prefix 'BD' is typical of this series. The discrepancy between the front denomination showing '500 SOMALI SHILLINGS' and the back showing 'N50 SHILIN SOOMAALI' is a known error on these transitional notes, where the back retained the old 50-shilling plate design while the front was updated to 500 shillings.
