Banknote Angola 1000 Escudos - L. de Camoes - Waterfalls - 10-06-1973 - Serial AI

Remarks:

Plis et salissures

This 1000 escudos banknote was issued by Angola on 10 June 1973, under series AI. It belongs to the Portuguese colonial period, when Angola was still under Portuguese administration, which explains the presence on this banknote of references to Lusitanian culture and history.

The banknote bears the portrait of Luís de Camões, an iconic figure of Portuguese literature and author of the national epic Os Lusíadas. His depiction on banknotes of this era reflects Portugal's cultural policy aimed at asserting its identity and heritage in its overseas territories. Camões also appeared on several denominations of the Portuguese and colonial monetary system of this period, underscoring his status as a major national symbol.

The other notable figurative element on this banknote is the representation of a waterfall, evoking the natural landscapes characteristic of the Angolan territory. This type of illustration was frequently used on colonial banknotes in order to visually anchor the currency in local geography while maintaining metropolitan cultural references.

The face value of 1000 escudos represented a high denomination in the monetary system then in use in Angola, the Angolan escudo being the official currency of the territory under Portuguese administration. This banknote belongs to series AI, a designation used to precisely identify the issue batch within the production of this denomination.

From a numismatic point of view, this banknote is a direct witness to Angola's late colonial period, issued only two years before the country's independence proclaimed in 1975. It thus constitutes a historical and fiduciary document reflecting the final years of the Portuguese colonial monetary system in southern Africa.