The 50-peso note, the sixth issue in the Bank of Mexico’s Series G family of bank notes, was introduced Oct. 28. The predominantly purple 125- by 65-millimeter polymer issue joins the already released 20-, 100-, 200-, 500- , and 1,000-peso notes. A 2,000-peso bill announced in late 2018 will not be issued until 2022 or 2023, according to the bank.

Its face focuses on one of the country’s historical periods. In this case, it is ancient Mexico. The main feature of the face is a fragment of the back of a monolith known as Teocalli De La Guerra Sagrada (Pyramid surmounted by the Temple of the Sacred War), showing an eagle perched on a cactus with the Atl tlachinolli in its beak. The monolith, currently on display in Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology, was sculpted by the Mexica civilization under the orders of Moctezuma II. The Atl tlachinolli is a metaphor of the sacred war and means water-bonfire. A representation of the city of Tenochtitlan taken from part of Diego Rivera’s mural is in the background, captioned with what translates to “the Great Tenochtitlan (viewed from the Tlatelolco Market).” The mural is located in the National Palace in Mexico City.

The ecosystem featured on the 50-peso note’s back represents Mexico’s rivers and lakes. The scene features a river, a Mexican salamander (known as ajolote) and a corn field in Xochimilco, Mexico City, a UNESCO world cultural heritage site.

Security features publicized by the bank include intaglio printing, a vertically positioned serial number that gradually increases in size; a linear background to deter photocopying; a transparent window with the number 50 and a texture of five dots forming a half circle embossed on it and perceptible by touch; a symbol in the window that changes color when tilted; three colors of fluorescent ink; and fluorescent fibers in different colors on both sides.

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