The Banknote Library

107 notes from 33 countries, collected in pockets and money belts between 1991 and 2026, photographed front and back. Filter by region, or browse alphabetically — every note opens its own page with the artwork story.
Australia uses the dollar — the world's first polymer banknotes, unrippable and washing-machine-proof.
Australia 20 — front 20Dollar Australia 5 — front 5Dollar
Botswana uses the pula.
Botswana 2 — front 2Pula
B — Brazil 3 notes
Brazil uses the real, introduced in 1994 to draw a line under decades of hyperinflation.
Brazil 1 — front 1Real Brazil 10 — front 10Real Brazil 2 — front 2Real
B — Burma 4 notes
Burma uses the kyat — famous for denominations of 15, 45, and 90, chosen for numerological luck.
Burma 10 — front 10Kyat Burma 200 — front 200Kyat Burma 5 — front 5Kyat Burma 500 — front 500Kyat
Burundi uses the franc.
Burundi 50 — front 50Franc
Cambodia uses the riel.
Cambodia 100 — front 100Riel Cambodia 1000 — front 1000Riel Cambodia 2000 — front 2000Riel Cambodia 500 — front 500Riel
C — China 4 notes
China uses the renminbi, counted in yuan; every note since 1999 carries Mao's portrait.
China 1 — front 1Renminbi China 1 — front 1 · 1Renminbi China 10 — front 10Renminbi China 5 — front 5Renminbi
C — Cuba 4 notes
Cuba uses the peso — these are the national pesos of daily life, not the tourist convertibles.
Cuba 1 — front 1Peso Cuba 1 — front 1 · hardPeso Cuba 10 — front 10Peso Cuba 20 — front 20Peso
E — Egypt 3 notes
Egypt uses the pound, split into 100 piastres — pharaohs on one side, mosques on the other.
Egypt 1 — front 1Pound Egypt 5 — front 5Pound Egypt 50 — front 50Pound
G — Greece 2 notes
Greece used the drachma until 2001 — one of the world's oldest currency names, retired by the euro.
Greece 100 — front 100Drachma Greece 200 — front 200Drachma
Guatemala uses the quetzal.
Guatemala 10 — front 10Quetzal Guatemala 20 — front 20Quetzal Guatemala 5 — front 5Quetzal
Hong Kong uses the dollar.
Hong Kong 10 — front 10 · 2009Dollar Hong Kong 10 — front 10 · oldDollar Hong Kong 10 — front 10 · old2Dollar Hong Kong 20 — front 20Dollar Hong Kong 20 — front 20 · newDollar Hong Kong 50 — front 50Dollar
I — India 10 notes
India uses the rupee — Gandhi on every modern note, the Lion Capital of Ashoka on the older series.
India 1 — front 1Rupee India 10 — front 10 · brownRupee India 10 — front 10 · newRupee India 10 — front 10 · old2Rupee India 100 — front 100 · newRupee India 100 — front 100 · oldRupee India 2 — front 2 · blueRupee India 2 — front 2 · redRupee India 5 — front 5Rupee India 50 — front 50 · newRupee
Indonesia uses the rupiah — same Sanskrit root as the rupee, across thirteen thousand islands.
Indonesia 100 — front 100Rupiah Indonesia 1000 — front 1000Rupiah Indonesia 1000 — front 1000 · oldRupiah Indonesia 500 — front 500 · 2Rupiah Indonesia 500 — front 500 · 3Rupiah Indonesia 5000 — front 5000Rupiah
K — Kenya 2 notes
Kenya uses the shilling.
Kenya 10 — front 10Shilling Kenya 20 — front 20Shilling
Malawi uses the kwacha.
Malawi 5 — front 5Kwacha
Malaysia uses the ringgit.
Malaysia 1 — front 1Ringgit Malaysia 10 — front 10Ringgit Malaysia 5 — front 5Ringgit
N — Nepal 4 notes
Nepal uses the rupee.
Nepal 1 — front 1Rupee Nepal 2 — front 2Rupee Nepal 5 — front 5Rupee Nepal 500 — front 500Rupee
New Zealand uses the dollar.
New Zealand 5 — front 5Dollar
Portugal used the escudo until 2002 — navigators and caravels on nearly every note.
Portugal 1000 — front 1000Escudo Portugal 1000 — front 1000 · newEscudo Portugal 500 — front 500Escudo
R — Russia 2 notes
Russia uses the ruble.
Russia 1000 — front 1000Ruble Russia 500 — front 500Ruble
Singapore uses the dollar.
Singapore 1 — front 1Dollar Singapore 2 — front 2Dollar Singapore 2 — front 2 · 05Dollar
South Korea uses the won.
South Korea 1000 — front 1000Won
Sri Lanka uses the rupee.
Sri Lanka 10 — front 10Rupee Sri Lanka 100 — front 100Rupee Sri Lanka 20 — front 20Rupee Sri Lanka 200 — front 200Rupee Sri Lanka 50 — front 50Rupee Sri Lanka 500 — front 500Rupee
Tanzania uses the shilling.
Tanzania 100 — front 100Shilling Tanzania 200 — front 200Shilling Tanzania 50 — front 50Shilling
Thailand uses the baht.
Thailand 10 — front 10Baht Thailand 20 — front 20Baht Thailand 50 — front 50Baht Thailand 50 — front 50 · oldBaht
Türkiye uses the lira.
Türkiye 10 — front 10Lira Türkiye 20 — front 20Lira
U — Uganda 3 notes
Uganda uses the shilling.
Uganda 100 — front 100Shilling Uganda 1000 — front 1000Shilling Uganda 200 — front 200Shilling
Uruguay uses the peso.
Uruguay 10 — front 10Peso Uruguay 20 — front 20Peso Uruguay 5000 — front 5000Peso
Vietnam uses the dong; Ho Chi Minh has appeared on every note since 1976.
Vietnam 1000 — front 1000Dong Vietnam 10000 — front 10000Dong Vietnam 2000 — front 2000Dong Vietnam 20000 — front 20000Dong Vietnam 500 — front 500Dong Vietnam 5000 — front 5000Dong
Z — Zaire 3 notes
Zaire uses the zaïre.
Zaire 1m — front 1mZaïre Zaire 50 — front 50Zaïre Zaire 500 — front 500Zaïre
Z — Zambia 2 notes
Zambia uses the kwacha.
Zambia 100 — front 100Kwacha Zambia 20 — front 20Kwacha
Zimbabwe uses the dollar — these notes predate the hyperinflation era's hundred-trillion bills.
Zimbabwe 20 — front 20Dollar Zimbabwe 5 — front 5Dollar