25 gulden Surinamese gulden #508

Front

The Presidential Palace (Onafhankelijkheidsplein) in Paramaribo, Suriname's seat of government. Built between 1730 and 1911, this colonial-era building has served as the residence of the president of Suriname since independence in 1975. The palace is depicted in green engraving in the center of the note, surrounded by decorative guilloche patterns and the denomination 25 in multiple places. Text at bottom reads 'SURINAAMS WETBOEK VAN STRAFRECHT' (Suriname Penal Code) with legal warnings about counterfeiting in Dutch.

Back

An indigenous Surinamese woman in traditional ceremonial dress and elaborate feathered headdress, representing the diverse indigenous cultures of Suriname including the Arawak, Carib, and other native peoples. The woman wears traditional jewelry and white garments, positioned at right with a rising sun motif at center. Date '1 SEPTEMBER 1985' printed at bottom left, with 'PRESIDENT' signature line at center. Text identifies printer as 'JOH ENSCHEDÉ EN ZONEN IMP' (Joh. Enschedé en Zonen, the Dutch security printer) and 'C.A.MECHELSE.DEL' (designer C.A. Mechelse) at bottom.

History

This note belongs to the gulden currency system used in Suriname from Dutch colonial times through independence (1975) until replacement by the Surinamese dollar in 2004 at a rate of 1,000 gulden = 1 dollar due to inflation. The 1985 series was issued under President Dési Bouterse's military government. The serial number format '0447200091' places this note within the standard production run. Joh. Enschedé en Zonen of Haarlem, Netherlands, was the primary printer of Surinamese currency during this period. The front depicts the Presidential Palace with legal text from the Suriname Penal Code warning against counterfeiting, forgery, and fraudulent use of banknotes. Designer C.A. Mechelse created this series celebrating both colonial architecture and indigenous heritage. No documented serial-year encoding is known for Centrale Bank van Suriname notes of this era.