50 New Taiwan Dollars Commemorative Banknote (1999 Commemorative Issue)

50 Yuan Dollar (Issued 1911)

In Taiwan’s post-war decades, a fifty Yuan note represented a meaningful sum in everyday transactions — enough to cover a modest meal, a short journey, or a household necessity for working families across the island. Issued under the New Taiwan Dollar series by the Bank of Taiwan, this denomination circulated widely among traders, workers, and shopkeepers navigating the rapid economic transformation that defined modern Taiwan. The note sits at an interesting crossroads of numismatic history, commemorating the founding of the Republic of China while serving as a practical instrument of daily commerce. Its eventual withdrawal marked the end of a distinct chapter in Taiwanese monetary history.

On the front, the note is printed on polymer rather than traditional paper, giving it a distinctive translucent quality characteristic of modern security printing. The overall colour palette is a soft rose-pink and lavender, with delicate guilloché patterning forming a layered background across the entire face. At the upper left, the bold numeral “50” is printed in deep red, while the upper centre carries the Chinese characters 中華民國, meaning “Republic of China,” also in red. A striking central motif depicts two historical banknotes rendered in an illustrative, overlapping arrangement — both showing the portrait of Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China, acknowledging the currency’s lineage. These inset images of earlier notes, complete with their own portrait vignettes and red tones, serve as a deliberate commemorative design element referencing the centenary of the Republic. The large Chinese characters 伍拾圓, denoting fifty Yuan, appear prominently in the lower left in teal-blue ink. Below these, the issuing authority 臺灣銀行 — the Bank of Taiwan — is printed in matching teal characters, accompanied by two small red seal stamps. On the right-hand side, a large holographic oval window element is embedded into the polymer substrate, displaying what appears to be a stylised emblem or plum blossom motif with a reflective gold and green colour shift. Alongside this, a secondary numeral “50” appears in deep red at the lower right, framed by fine lathe-work guillochés and spiral rosettes. The serial number A1670150 is printed in red at the top right. A small snowflake or rosette emblem appears near the centre right. The lower right margin carries the fine printed text 台灣銀行版 in small characters. The background shows a faint architectural ghost image — identifiable as a large bridge structure — printed in pale lavender, adding depth to the polymer layer.

The reverse of the note continues the rose-pink and lavender polymer design, and because it is viewed here in mirror orientation, the serial number A1670150 appears reversed at the top left. The holographic oval window is again visible on the left side, its metallic sheen consistent with the front. Dominating the central composition is a detailed intaglio-style depiction of a large, imposing modernist government building — a rectangular multi-storey structure with a colonnaded lower section, wide entrance steps, and a grand civic presence consistent with the Executive Yuan building in Taipei. This architectural engraving is rendered in deep red and crimson, with fine line shading conveying the building’s scale and solidity. To the upper right, a ghost watermark portrait — again identifiable as Sun Yat-sen — is visible as a translucent security image within the polymer, printed in pale tones. To the right of the main building, a vignette of a modern elevated train or metro carriage is printed in blue-purple tones, referencing Taiwan’s contemporary infrastructure. The large numeral “50” appears in red at the upper right corner. Chinese characters repeat across the lower left in teal, echoing the face inscription. A small floral rosette or plum blossom emblem is visible near the lower centre. Fine text reading 中華民國八十八年版 — indicating the 88th year of the Republic of China, corresponding to 1999 — appears in small print near the lower right, confirming the note’s commemorative issue date for the Republic’s anniversary.

Whether it is a single 50 Yuan New Taiwan Dollar banknote or a mix of leftover currency, Webuyallcurrency.com exchanges New Taiwan Dollars banknotes and other foreign coins and notes for cash in one straightforward process.

• Indicate the quantity of 50 Yuan Dollar banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

From leftover holiday money to inherited collections, Webuyallcurrency.com will exchange or buy your New Taiwan Dollars banknotes and other foreign currency, handling old and withdrawn pieces in the same simple process.

Other New Taiwan Dollars you can exchange: 1, 5, 10, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000.