User:Mark1198/Fifty cent quetzal banknote

The 50 cent quetzal banknote was a banknote used in Guatemala during the XX century. The design of this note was varied, adapting to the historical context of Guatemala and their meanings over the years in which it was in circulation. Stopped being used in 1998 replacing it for the coin with the same denomination.

Designs
When the Bank of Guatemala was created as state organization, used the design created by the Central Bank of Guatemala in 1926

In the obverse featured allegories about the agriculture, which was of great importance for the time. The reverse has a landscape of the Lake Atitlan. Its main color was brown.

History
In 1953, the Bank of Guatemala issued their own design, which are had the old colors. For first time showed a quetzal flying as a symbol of freedom. Also featured a engraving of the Ermita of the Cerrito del Carmen, while in the reverse, it had a landscape of Chichicastenango.

In 1955, new designs of the 50 cent quetzal banknote were reissued, changing its distribution.

Change to the current design
The changes made later were the color tone, but in 1972 the design was modified again. These new banknotes featured in the obverse, the Guatemala's national hero, Tecun Uman and in the reverse featured the Tikal Temple I

Also could be seen the quetzal flying. This was the first time featured mayan designs with the main engraving.

In 1983, banknotes with slight changes were put into circulation, now a stylized pyramid was behind of the engraving of Tecun Uman

From the 90's, the 50 cent quetzal banknote began to replaced by the coin. Little by little the Guatemalan society began to accept the coin and the banknote disappeared completely.