Mexico Launches New 50-Pesos Banknote - Keesing Platform (2024)

The Banco de México put into circulation the sixth and last banknote of the New Series of Mexican banknotes, the 50-Pesos vertical note, on 1 November 2021. The announcement was made at a special event held in Mexico City on October 28th.

The new note is printed on a polymer substrate and measures 125 X 65 mm. The main colour scheme is purple, with both the front and back sides being vertical in orientation. In keeping with the new series, the theme of the new note is historical identity and natural heritage.

Front Side of Banknote

The front side of the note portrays the historical period of Ancient Mexico, in particular the founding of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. The image is based on a mural by artist Diego Rivera. Also shown is the back of the monolith known as Teocalli of the Sacred War, featuring an eagle standing on a prickly pear cactus as the main motif.

Back Side of Banknote

The reverse side of the note depicts the country’s ecosystem of rivers and lakes through the axolotl, as well as the maize and bonpland willow trees, in the network of canals and artificial islands of Xochimilco, a cultural heritage site.

The key security features include:

• A complex window with color-shifting ink surrounding the transparent window. (It represents the Mexican “Ollin” symbol, which represents movement.) It changes color as the note is tilted. The window also features embossed elements.
• SICPA Spark® Live feature in the shape of the denomination ”50” changes color from gold to green as the note is tilted.
• Five tactile dots and an embossed denomination “50”—to aid the visually impaired—are printed over the smooth surface of the window.
• The reverse of the banknote features designs printed in fluorescent inks that fluoresce when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light.

Sources/References:

Banco de Mexico

Banknote Industry News

Mexico News Daily