About a month ago, the Bank of Uganda introduced new currency; it’s so pretty, and I actually had one of each bill, I had to show it off. The old currency is still floating around; I’ve noticed that some shopkeepers apologize when they give it to me. In addition to being pretty, it has new security measures, and the bills are a bit smaller, so they fit in my wallet better.
The color schemes for the denominations are still the same – people are surprised when I tell them that our money is 1. all the same size and 2. all the same color. There are explanations for the designs, but the reverse of each bill (shown on the 1,000 bill; I know it’s probably difficult to see) displays the map of Uganda along with a different agricultural image.
Here, 50,000 shillings is indeed a lot of money. Talking about things in the thousands skews the perspective a bit – the exchange rate floats around 2,000 shillings to the USD, so the 50K is about the equivalent to $25. I will say that I love seeing my bank balance in shillings. : )
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