List of motifs on banknotes
From Freepedia
This is a list of current motifs on the banknotes of different countries. The customary design of banknotes in most countries is a portrait of a notable citizen on the front (or obverse) and a different motif on the back (or reverse) - often something relating to that person. One exception to this is the Euro banknotes, where non-existent architectural structures have been chosen to avoid the impression of a national bias. Even though most banknotes have more than one motif on each side, only the main motifs are described here.
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Argentina
The official currency of Argentina is the Argentine peso (ARS). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| ARS 2 | Bartolomé Mitre | Mitre Museum |
| ARS 5 | José de San Martín | Cerro de la Gloria, Mendoza |
| ARS 10 | Manuel Belgrano | National Flag Memorial |
| ARS 20 | Juan Manuel de Rosas | Battle of Vuelta de Obligado |
| ARS 50 | Domingo Faustino Sarmiento | Casa de Gobierno |
| ARS 100 | Julio Argentino Roca | Desert Conquest |
Australia
The official currency of Australia is the Australian dollar (AUD). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| AUD 5 | Queen Elizabeth II | Parliament House |
| AUD 5 | Henry Parkes | Catherine Helen Spence (Federal note) |
| AUD 10 | AB 'Banjo' Paterson | Mary Gilmore |
| AUD 20 | Mary Reibey | John Flynn |
| AUD 50 | David Unaipon | Edith Cowan |
| AUD 100 | Dame Nellie Melba | Sir John Monash |
Brazil
The official currency of Brazil is the Real (BRL). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| BRL 1 | The Republic's sphinx, portrayed as a bust | Sapphire-spangled Emerald Hummingbird |
| BRL 2 | The Republic's sphinx | Hawksbill Turtle |
| BRL 5 | The Republic's sphinx | Great Egret |
| BRL 10 | The Republic's sphinx | Greenwing Macaw |
| BRL 20 | The Republic's sphinx | Golden Lion Tamarin |
| BRL 50 | The Republic's sphinx | Jaguar |
| BRL 100 | The Republic's sphinx | Dusky Grouper |
Canada
The official currency of Canada is the Canadian dollar (CAD). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| CAD 5 | Wilfrid Laurier | Children playing winter sports |
| CAD 10 | John A. Macdonald | Peacekeeping forces and war memorial |
| CAD 20 | Queen Elizabeth II | Artwork of Bill Reid |
| CAD 50 | William Lyon Mackenzie King | The Valiant Five and Thérèse Casgrain |
| CAD 100 | Robert Borden | Maps of Canada, historic and modern |
Denmark
The official currency of Denmark is the Danish krone (DKK). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| DKK 50 | Karen Blixen | Centaur from Landet Church |
| DKK 100 | Carl Nielsen | Basilisk from Tømmerby Church |
| DKK 200 | Johanne Luise Heiberg | Lion from Viborg Cathedral |
| DKK 500 | Niels Bohr | Knight fighting a dragon from Lihme Church |
| DKK 1000 | Anna and Michael Ancher | Tournament from Bislev Church |
England
The official currency of England is the Pound sterling (GBP). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| GBP 5 | Queen Elizabeth II | Elizabeth Fry |
| GBP 10 | Queen Elizabeth II | Charles Darwin |
| GBP 20 | Queen Elizabeth II | Edward Elgar |
| GBP 50 | Queen Elizabeth II | John Houblon |
Euro Area
The Euro (EUR) is the official currency of some European Union countries. The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| EUR 5 | Classical window | Classical bridge |
| EUR 10 | Romanesque gateway | Romanesque bridge |
| EUR 20 | Gothic windows | Gothic bridge |
| EUR 50 | Renaissance windows | Renaissance bridge |
| EUR 100 | Baroque/Rococo gateway | Baroque/Rococo bridge |
| EUR 200 | 19th/20th century windows | 19th/20th century bridge |
| EUR 500 | Modern windows | Modern bridge |
Hungary
The official currency of Hungary is the forint (HUF). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| HUF 200 | Róbert Károly | Diósgyőr Castle |
| HUF 500 | Francis II Rákóczi | Sárospatak Castle |
| HUF 1000 | King Matthias Corvinus | Hercules Fountain in Visegrad |
| HUF 2000 | Gábor Bethlen | Bethlen and his scientists |
| HUF 5000 | Count István Széchenyi | Széchenyi Mansion in Nagycenk |
| HUF 10000 | King Stephen I of Hungary | Esztergom |
| HUF 20000 | Ferenc Deák | Hungarian Parliament |
Iceland
The official currency of Iceland is the Icelandic króna (ISK). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| ISK 500 | Jón Sigurðsson | Reykjavík grammar school |
| ISK 1000 | Brynjólfur Sveinsson | Brynjólfskirkja |
| ISK 2000 | Jóhannes S. Kjarval | Painting and drawing by Karval |
| ISK 5000 | Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir | Laufáskirkja altar cloth |
India
The official currency of India is the Indian rupee (INR). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| INR 5 | Mahatma Gandhi | Tractor |
| INR 10 | Mahatma Gandhi | Rhinoceros, tiger and elephant |
| INR 20 | Mahatma Gandhi | Palm trees |
| INR 50 | Mahatma Gandhi | Parliament of India |
| INR 100 | Mahatma Gandhi | Himalaya |
| INR 500 | Mahatma Gandhi | Dandi March |
| INR 1000 | Mahatma Gandhi | Industry |
Japan
The official currency of Japan is the Yen (JPY). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| JPY 1000 | Soseki Natsume | Manchurian cranes |
| JPY 1000 | Hideyo Noguchi | Mount Fuji, Cherry blossoms |
| JPY 2000 | Shureimon Gate | The Tale of Genji and Murasaki Shikibu |
| JPY 5000 | Inazo Nitobe | Mount Fuji, lake |
| JPY 5000 | Ichiyo Higuchi | Irises, by Korin Ogata |
| JPY 10000 | Yukichi Fukuzawa | Pheasants |
| JPY 10000 | Yukichi Fukuzawa | Statue of Phoenix from Byodoin Temple |
Norway
The official currency of Norway is the Norwegian Krone (NOK). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| NOK 50 | Peter Chr. Asbjørnsen | Water lillies |
| NOK 100 | Kirsten Flagstad | Norwegian National Opera |
| NOK 200 | Kristian Birkeland | Northern lights |
| NOK 500 | Sigrid Undset | Wreath |
| NOK 1000 | Edvard Munch | Sun (painting by Munch) |
Poland
The official currency of Poland is the Złoty (PLN). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| PLN 10 | Mieszko I | Silver coin from reign of Mieszko I |
| PLN 20 | Boleslaus I the Brave | Silver coin from reign of Boleslaus I |
| PLN 50 | Casimir III the Great | Eagle from royal seal of Casimir III |
| PLN 100 | Wladislaus II Jagiełło | Eagle from tombstone of Wladislaus II |
| PLN 200 | Sigismund I the Old | Eagle from the Sigismund Chapel, Wawel Hill |
Russia
The official currency of Russia is the Ruble (RUB). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| RUB 10 | Krasnoyarsk, cathedral | Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric plant |
| RUB 50 | Sculpture from Rostral Column | Former stock exchange building |
| RUB 100 | Sculpture from Bolshoi Theatre | The Bolshoi Theatre |
| RUB 500 | Peter the Great, port | Solovetsky Monastery |
| RUB 1000 | Yaroslav the Wise | Church of the Precursor |
Scotland
The official currency of Scotland is the Pound sterling (GBP). Under Scottish legislation, banknotes are issued by commercial banks not the government. The motifs issued by the Bank of Scotland are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| GBP 5 | Sir Walter Scott | vignette of oil and energy |
| GBP 10 | Sir Walter Scott | vignette of distilling and brewing |
| GBP 20 | Sir Walter Scott | vignette of education and research |
| GBP 50 | Sir Walter Scott | vignette of arts and culture |
| GBP 100 | Sir Walter Scott | vignette of leisure and tourism |
The Royal Bank of Scotland issues:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| GBP 1 | Lord Ilay | Edinburgh Castle |
| GBP 5 | Lord Ilay | Culzean Castle |
| GBP 10 | Lord Ilay | Glamis Castle |
| GBP 20 | Lord Ilay | Brodick Castle |
| GBP 50 | Lord Ilay | Inverness Castle |
| GBP 100 | Lord Ilay | Balmoral Castle |
The Clydesdale Bank issues:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| GBP 5 | Robert Burns | vignette of mouse and rose |
| GBP 10 | Mary Slessor | vignette of Nigeria and missionary work |
| GBP 20 | Robert the Bruce | vignette of Bruce, Wallace, Stirling Castle |
| GBP 50 | Adam Smith | vignette of 18th century engineering and agriculture |
| GBP 100 | Lord Kelvin | Kelvin's university lecture room |
Slovakia
The official currency of Slovakia is the Slovak crown (SKK). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| SKK 20 | Prince Pribina | Nitra Castle |
| SKK 50 | St Cyril and Saint Methodius | Dražovce church and Glagolitic alphabet |
| SKK 100 | Madonna at Levoča church | Levoča church and city hall |
| SKK 200 | Anton Bernolák | Trnava in the 18th century |
| SKK 500 | Ľudovít Štúr | Bratislava Castle |
| SKK 1000 | Andrej Hlinka | Ružomberok church |
| SKK 5000 | Milan Rastislav Štefánik | Stefanik's grave |
South Africa
The official currency of South Africa is the Rand (ZAR). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| ZAR 10 | Rhinoceros | Agriculture |
| ZAR 20 | Elephant | Mining |
| ZAR 50 | Lion | Manufacturing |
| ZAR 100 | Buffalo | Tourism |
| ZAR 200 | Leopard | Transport and Communications |
Sweden
The official currency of Sweden is the Swedish krona (SEK). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| SEK 20 | Selma Lagerlöf | Nils Holgersson |
| SEK 50 | Jenny Lind | Silver harp |
| SEK 100 | Carolus Linnaeus | Bee pollinating a flower |
| SEK 500 | King Charles XI | Christopher Polhem |
| SEK 1000 | King Gustav Vasa | Harvest by Olaus Magnus |
Switzerland
The official currency of Switzerland is the Swiss franc (CHF). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| CHF 10 | Le Corbusier | Le Corbusier’s buildings in Chandigarh |
| CHF 20 | Arthur Honegger | Elements from Honegger's Pacific 231 |
| CHF 50 | Sophie Taeuber-Arp | Taeuber-Arp's Dada Head |
| CHF 100 | Alberto Giacometti | Giacometti's Man Walking |
| CHF 200 | Charles Ferdinand Ramuz | Swiss mountains and Lavaux area |
| CHF 1000 | Jacob Burckhardt | Detail from the Palazzo Strozzi |
Turkey
The official currency of Turkey is the New Turkish lira (TRY). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| TRY 1 | Kemal Atatürk | Dam in Sanliurfa - Adiyaman |
| TRY 5 | Kemal Atatürk | Anitkabir Mausoleum in Ankara |
| TRY 10 | Kemal Atatürk | A world map and a sailing ship |
| TRY 20 | Kemal Atatürk | Efes ruins in Selcuk |
| TRY 50 | Kemal Atatürk | Cappadocia rock formations |
| TRY 100 | Kemal Atatürk | Ishakpasha Palace in Dogubayazit |
United States
The official currency of the United States is the United States dollar (USD). The motifs used are:
| Denomination | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|
| USD 1 | George Washington | Great Seal of the United States |
| USD 2 | Thomas Jefferson | Declaration of Independence |
| USD 5 | Abraham Lincoln | Lincoln Memorial |
| USD 10 | Alexander Hamilton | Treasury building |
| USD 20 | Andrew Jackson | White House |
| USD 50 | Ulysses S. Grant | U.S. Capitol |
| USD 100 | Benjamin Franklin | Independence Hall |
