A sovereign state in Oceania, The Solomon Islands consist of six major islands and more than 900 islets. Settled in the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands is home to 652, 858 individuals. Tourism could be one of the most important industries in the nation, however, the lack of transportation facilities and infrastructure has made the country one of the least visited in the world.
The island nation was a British protectorate from 1893 and became independent from the United Kingdom on July 7, 1978. This explains why earlier banknotes of the country feature a portrait of Queen Elizabeth. It was only in 1986 that the portrait of the monarch was replaced by the country’s emblem. On its 2001 issues, the national flag was added to the 50-dollar note’s front design. Additionally, the security thread was changed from solid to windowed, and the watermark was changed to a falcon’s head with added CBSI electrotype. The design and security elements were eventually applied to the succeeding issues. In 2013, the Central Bank of Solomon Islands started issuing a new set of banknotes depicting the coat of arms, traditional way of life, cultural pride, and things that are significant on the island.
