500 Ugandan Shillings Banknote (Elephant)

500 Shillings / Shil Ugandan Shilling (Issued 1994-1998)

Printed on crisp, pale cream paper with a slight greenish-blue cast across its face, this 500 Shillings note from the Bank of Uganda carries the firm, well-defined feel of a mid-1990s African banknote produced to contemporary international security standards. The overall colouration blends soft lavender, sage green, and warm ochre tones, giving the note a restrained but dignified palette that reflects the design philosophy of the era. Intricate guilloché rosettes and fine-line geometric latticework fill the background on both faces, lending structural depth to what is otherwise a clean, well-organised composition. The note’s condition in the images suggests it was carefully circulated, with sharp corners and well-retained colour saturation consistent with its issue period between 1994 and 1998.

On the front, the dominant image is a large, finely engraved African elephant rendered in dark olive-green and grey ink, positioned centrally to the left of the face and occupying a commanding proportion of the note’s height. The elephant is depicted in full profile, facing left, with tusks clearly defined and a textured hide conveyed through dense cross-hatched engraving lines typical of intaglio printing of this period. Behind and around the elephant, pale guilloché patterns in soft green and lilac form a complex radiating lattice that fills the entire background field. To the upper centre, the issuing authority name “BANK OF UGANDA” is printed in bold, dark blue serif capitals, flanked on both sides by the numeral “500” in large, confident typography — once in the upper left in dark blue, and again in the upper right in matching style. The serial number EG444087 appears in reddish-brown ink in the upper right, with the same serial repeated vertically in the left margin. Centrally positioned to the right of the elephant, the denomination legend reads “FIVE HUNDRED SHILLINGS” in bold lettering, followed by the Swahili equivalent “SHILINGI MIA TANO” beneath it, and below that the legal tender clause “LEGAL TENDER FOR FIVE HUNDRED SHILLINGS FOR BANK OF UGANDA” in smaller text. The Uganda national coat of arms — featuring a shield, crested crane, and kob, with a drum and the rising sun — appears in full colour above the denomination text, rendered in fine multicolour engraving. To the lower right, a secondary vignette depicting what appears to be the Bank of Uganda building is printed in dark intaglio ink within a formal oval frame. Two facsimile signatures appear beneath the central text block, identified by the titles “Governor” on the left and “Secretary” on the right, and the year 1996 is visible in small print at the lower left margin. A security thread is embedded vertically through the note, visible as a dark embedded strip running through the paper. A horizontal band of interlocking diamond-shaped guillochés in teal and gold runs across the lower third of the note, adding a further layer of anti-counterfeiting patterning.

The reverse presents a detailed, finely executed engraved vignette of Makerere University’s main administration building, the iconic red-roofed, white-rendered structure with its distinctive square clock tower, set against a background of mature trees. The building is rendered with architectural precision in shades of grey-green and olive, with individual windows, archways, and the tower’s belfry clearly delineated. The background field is filled with the same complex guilloché latticework seen on the front, here in pale pink and sage green, creating a layered, luminous quality. “BANK OF UGANDA” is printed in dark blue across the top centre in the same bold serif typeface, with the numeral “500” appearing in the upper left and upper right corners. To the right of the building vignette, the denomination legend is repeated: “FIVE HUNDRED SHILLINGS” and “SHILINGI MIA TANO” in dark ink on a light ground. The lower margin carries an elongated “500” numeral in large, stylised outline lettering rendered in purple-blue ink, flanked by ornate guillochéd scroll borders on both the left and right edges. To the left border, a tall decorative motif — appearing to depict a traditional Ugandan ceremonial column or totem — is rendered in fine line engraving in deep violet, providing a vertical compositional anchor to the design. The overall reverse is a balanced, academically composed layout that successfully integrates a nationally significant institution with sophisticated security printing.

This 500 Shillings banknote can be exchanged through Webuyallcurrency.com, where old or withdrawn Ugandan Shillings banknotes are bought alongside other foreign currency — ideal for clearing a drawer of mixed coins and notes at once.

• Indicate the quantity of 500 Shillings / Shil Ugandan Shilling 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 Ugandan Shillings banknotes and other foreign currency, handling old and withdrawn pieces in the same simple process.

Other Ugandan Shillings you can exchange: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000.