A limited edition of 100,000 commemorative polymer $40 notes was issued by the Central Bank of Solomon Islands on July 7 to celebrate the nation’s 40th anniversary of independence.

The blue-colored issue is the fifth note in the multi-island, multilingual nation’s new family of bank notes, joining the $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes. It was designed and printed by De La Rue. $40 is about $5 in U.S. funds.

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“A call to the nation to come together as one and move forward” is the note’s theme. It is the latest in a recent trend among world bank notes to adopt a vertical format. 

On the face is an image of a man blowing a conch shell, called by the bank a traditional instrument of communication, used to summon people to come together and to signal the start of important events. A stylized map of all the islands represents nationhood and inclusion. 

On the back of the note, in the more traditional horizontal presentation, the national flag is in the background, overlaid with images of traditional fishing and canoe travel, diving and marine fauna. 

One of the note’s more alluring features is a sea turtle that glows under ultra-violet light. The note has braille features for the blind.

Central Bank Governor Denton Rarawa said in remarks on July 5 that the new note “is a ‘collector’s item’ but it will also circulate as legal tender for purchase of goods and services in the economy.” Rarawa also announced that the bank was working on a new polymer $5 note, to be issued in the early part of 2019.

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