You use it every single day and you probably think it’s as basic as a medium of exchange, but we would like to break your heart by giving you a capital NO! Let’s talk about the Ugandan money;

Traveling and Tourism

Well Uganda airlines, hotels, safari agencies, and the Uganda Wildlife Authority will charge you in U.S. dollars, but you can pay in Ugandan shillings if you wish. Yes, it’s a myth that airports only work in dollars and now you know.

History and Family of Banknotes of the Uganda Shilling

You probably won’t believe it, Uganda currency has changed seven times in the last 50 years.
After Uganda’s independence from Great Britain in 1962 and consequently the collapse of the Eastern African Currency Board in 1966, the Bank of Uganda introduced its first banknotes of 5, 10 and 20 shillings. As Uganda politics evolved and changed with various leaders so did the currency with many different banknotes being introduced and modified to reflect the leadership present at the time. The latest change was in May 2010.

Uganda Heritage Symbols on Ugandan Bank notes

Every single depiction on Ugandan money has its meaning; take a look at the emblems on Uganda banknotes, and you will get an insight into the country’s natural, cultural, and historical heritage.
For example, on the 50,000 shillings note, you will see an image of the Independence Monument, a crested crane, the Bwindi tropical rainforest, silverback mountain gorillas, and the outline of a man wearing a Karimojong headdress. The International Bank Note Society has rated this Ugandan banknote as one of the most beautiful currency in the world.

The 20,000 shillings note depicts the country’s coat of arms, a traditional drum, the Nile River, the Parliament Building in Kampala, and the Ugandan kob. You will also see symbols of coffee and cotton because these two cash crops are important to the country’s economy.
Musical instruments on the 10,000 shillings note signify Uganda’s musical heritage while the coat of arms symbol displays spears and the waves of Lake Victoria. On the backside of this note, you will see an image of the Kiira Hydroelectric Power Station. In addition to the coat of arms on the 5,000 shillings note, you will see illustrations of Lake Bunyonyi and the MV Kaawa Ferry on Lake Victoria.

On the 2,000 shillings note are the illustrations of the Speke Memorial, an outline map of Uganda with the equator, a woman uplifting a child, the Nile River, and the crested crane.
The 1,000 shillings note depicts Uganda’s agriculture with symbols of a farmer working on a banana plantation and trucks in front of grain silos.
Uganda Shillings is the first currency to apply counterfeit security features

Uganda is the first country in Africa to use the advanced optical security feature against counterfeiting known as SPARK. Other security features on Uganda banknotes include: High-quality paper that is difficult to reproduce, Watermark image of the crested crane with the denomination below the beak, Special thread woven into the paper that changes colors when tilted, Foiled images on each denomination that change patterns at different angles, See-through section that displays symbols from the back and front sides simultaneously when held to the light, Advanced optical security feature (SPARK)
The Uganda shilling is a stable, convertible Uganda currency that floats against foreign currency on the international market.

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