Thailand 1996 Polymer Banknotes: King Rama IX 50th Reign

In the next few days, Thailand will be issuing a polymer banknote to commemorate the 72nd birthday of its present king, King Rama X, or King Maha Vajiralongkorn. However, this is not the first instance that Thailand has issued polymer banknotes. The first time Thailand issued polymer banknotes was also a commemorative issue in 1996 to celebrate King Rama IX or Bhumibol Adulyadej's, 50th anniversary of his reign. This milestone was marked by the issuance of three distinct commemorative banknotes: a 50 Baht polymer note, a 500 Baht paper note, and a 500 Baht polymer note.

In 1996, Thailand embarked on a significant venture into modern currency production to honor the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s reign. The introduction of these polymer notes marked Thailand’s first foray into polymer currency, and the 8th country to issue Note Printing Australia or NPA-based polymer note. This article focuses on the 50 Baht and 500 Baht polymer banknotes, detailing their historical context, unique features, and their significance in Thailand's numismatic history.

Historical Context

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, known as King Rama IX, was born on 5 December 1927, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America. He was the youngest son of Prince Mahidol Adulyadej of Songkla. In 1935, Bhumibol’s nine-year-old brother, Ananda Mahidol, became King Rama VIII after their paternal uncle, King Prajadhipok or King Rama VII, abdicated. King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascended the Thai throne on 9 June 1946, following the untimely passing away of his brother, King Ananda Mahidol or King Rama VIII. He was officially coronated on 5 May 1950, in a grand ceremony at the Paisan Thaksin Throne Hall in the Grand Palace, Bangkok.

In 1996, Thailand celebrated the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol's reign, marking a milestone that highlighted his enduring legacy. This golden jubilee was a momentous occasion, celebrated with nationwide festivities and commemorations. To honor this significant event, the Bank of Thailand issued a series of commemorative banknotes, including the first-ever polymer notes in Thailand, featuring denominations of 50 Baht and 500 Baht.

50 Baht Polymer Note

Of the three banknotes released to commemorate King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 50th reign anniversary, the 50 Baht polymer currency was the third to be announced and issued. The introduction of the banknote was announced according to the Notification of the Minister of Finance dated 24 September 1996. The banknote was issued to the public on 3 December 1996.

In view that the banknote was issued at its face value without any premium, despite being a commemorative issue, it is likely to be used in actual circulation, therefore, to avoid public confusion, the overall design of the banknote is based on the 50 Baht banknote series 13.

Unlike the 500 Baht polymer note, explained below, Note Printing Australia has received or prepared the required numbering fonts, so the 50 Baht note was fully printed in Australia. To have a commemorative touch and signify King Rama 9, the serial number prefix is always "9" followed by an alpha Thai / English character. The note has a 7-digit serial number. There are 2 signature combinations. The printing method used is intaglio.

Denomination: 50 Baht
Issuer: Government of Thailand
Printer: Note Printing Australia
Color: Blue and yellow gold
Size: 171 x 91 mm
Obverse Design: Royal Garuda emblem, Chakri Dynasty emblem, King Rama IX in Royal Decorations, and emblem of the 50th anniversary of accession to the throne
Main Text: Thai script meaning "Government of Thailand", "This Banknote is a Legal Tender", "Five Hundred Baht"
Reverse Design: Royal Sea of King Rama VII, Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall in Bangkok, Statute of King Rama VII and Royal Garuda emblem
Material: Polymer
Security Thread: None
Watermark: King Rama IX in hologram

Variety 1
Signature: Bodee Junnanon and Rerngchai Marakanond
Catalog Number: Banknote Book B168a; Pick 99

Variety 2
Signature: Bodee Junnanon and Rerngchai Marakanond
Catalog Number: Banknote Book B168b; Pick 99

500 Baht Polymer Note

Of the three banknotes released to commemorate King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 50th reign anniversary, the 500 Baht polymer currency was the first to be announced. The introduction of the banknote was announced according to the Notification of the Minister of Finance dated 10 January 1996. The banknote was issued to the public on 9 July 1996, this is about a month after its original scheduled issuance date of 6 June 1996.

The 500 Baht note was issued as a numismatic product in a colorful Thai silk folder of various colors and shades. The normal notes were sold at a premium value of 1,100 Baht. While those that ended with 9 were sold at a premium value of 1,300 Baht. There were also other special numbers and sets sold at a higher premium. Some of the popular sets will be mentioned below.

The banknotes were printed by Note Printing Australia but without any serial numbers as they did not have the Thai prefix and serial number fonts. The prefix and serial numbers were applied by Note Printing Works Thailand. To signify that the note is to celebrate the King's 50th reign anniversary, the number before the letter is 50. Also to signify King Rama IX, the first number of the serial numbers is 9. The format of the serial number is therefore always 50Z 9XXXX, with Z being an alpha Thai / English character and XXXX being any number. As the note only has 5-digit serial numbers with 9 being the first number always, there are only 10,000 notes per prefix. There are a total of 100 prefixes, and, therefore, a total of 1 million notes printed. Given that all notes begin with the number 9, the only solid number available is 99999. There are 2 signature varieties with 500,000 notes printed for each signature variety. The printing method used is intaglio.

Denomination: 500 Baht
Issuer: Government of Thailand
Printer: Note Printing Australia
Color: Gold and green
Size: 171 x 91 mm
Obverse Design: Royal Garuda emblem, emblem of the 50th anniversary of accession to the throne, seated King Rama IX in Royal Decorations and bow of the Royal Barge Narai Song Suban
Main Text: Thai script meaning "Government of Thailand", "This Banknote is a Legal Tender", "Fifty Baht"
Reverse Design: King Rama IX wearing a jacket while carrying out duties, waterfall, dam, water turbine, and farmers in the field
Material: Polymer
Security Thread: None
Watermark: King Rama IX in hologram

Variety 1
Signature: Surakiet Sathienthain and Vijit Supinit
Quantity: 500,000 notes
Catalog Number: Banknote Book B170a; Pick 101

Variety 2
Signature: Bodee Junnanon and Rerngchai Marakanond
Quantity: 500,000 notes
Catalog Number: Banknote Book B170b; Pick 101

Replacement Notes Controversy

There is some debate regarding the existence of replacement notes for the 500 Baht polymer issue. According to the Bank of Thailand, no replacement notes were produced. However, according to the Banknote Book by Owen W. Linzmayer Thailand Chapter banknotes with the first signature variety, Surakiet Sathienthain and Vijit Supinit, and prefix 50S are replacement banknotes. Both these are not per what is mentioned by well-established Thai collectors and also the Thai language banknote books. According to them, for the first signature variety (Surakiet Sathienthain and Vijit Supinit) notes with the western prefix 50S and Thai prefix 50พ (i.e. 50 Phor Phan which is similar to the Wester 'W') only are replacement notes. No other combination with the 50S can be considered as replacement notes. This has certainly led to confusion but what is certain is that not all 50S notes are replacement notes. Further, certainly, the western prefix 50S and Thai prefix 50พ with the second signature combination is the last prefix.

Fancy Number Sets

As mentioned above, the 500 Baht polymer banknotes with normal serial numbers i.e. 9XXXX were sold at 1,100 Baht. Those, with serial numbers ending with 9, i.e. 9XXX9 were sold at 1,300 Baht. In addition, there are also other special sets with fancy and semi-fancy numbers sold at a much higher premium. Some of the banknotes or sets came with special crystal frames. Popular special sets sold by the Bank of Thailand in 1996 or nearly 30 years ago at a higher premium include:

Serial numbers: 99099, 99199, 99299, 99399, 99499, 99599, 99699, 99799, and 99899 - set of 9 notes officially issued at 84,000 Baht

Serial numbers: 90009, 91119, 92229, 93339, 94449, 95559, 96669, 97779, and 98889 - set of 9 notes officially issued at 70,500 Baht

Serial numbers: 90909, 91919, 92929, 93939, 94949, 95959, 96969, 97979, and 98989 - set of 9 notes officially issued at 53,400 Baht

Serial numbers: 91111, 92222, 93333, 94444, 95555, 96666, 97777, and 98888 - set of 8 notes officially issued at 35,000 Baht

The 50 Baht banknotes with fancy numbers and semi-fancy numbers, such as set 1000001, 2000002, 3000003 ...... 9000009, set 2111112, 2333332, 2444442 ...... 2999992, set 9990999, 9991999, 9992999 ...... 9998999, etc. were made available by Bank of Thailand through raffle draws.

Conclusion

Thailand's issuance of polymer banknotes in 1996 to commemorate King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 50th anniversary of reign was a landmark event in the nation's numismatic history. The legacy of the 1996 polymer notes remains a testament to the country’s commitment to innovation and cultural preservation. The forthcoming polymer banknote to honor King Maha Vajiralongkorn's 72nd birthday is a continuation of this tradition, highlighting the ongoing evolution of Thai currency and its role in commemorating significant milestones involving the nation's monarchy.

In the next article, we will delve into the details of the newly issued polymer banknote, exploring its design, features, and the significance of this latest addition to Thailand’s numismatic heritage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When did Thailand first issue polymer banknotes?

A: Thailand first issued polymer banknotes in 1996. This significant venture into modern currency production was a commemorative issue to celebrate King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX)'s 50th anniversary of his reign.

Q: What event did Thailand's 1996 polymer banknotes commemorate?

A: The 1996 polymer banknotes were issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX)'s reign. This Golden Jubilee was a momentous occasion celebrated nationwide.

Q: What were the denominations of the polymer banknotes issued in 1996 to commemorate King Rama IX's reign?

A: Thailand issued two polymer banknotes in 1996 to commemorate King Rama IX's 50th reign anniversary: a 50 Baht polymer note and a 500 Baht polymer note. A 500 Baht paper note was also part of the overall commemorative release.

Q: What distinguished the serial numbering system of the 500 Baht polymer note?

A: The 500 Baht polymer note's serial number began with "50Z" (where Z was an alpha Thai/English character), followed by a 5-digit number starting with "9" (e.g., 50A 9XXXX). This unique format signified the King's 50th reign anniversary and King Rama IX.