Eritrea P-3 10 Nakfa 1997 UNC—Women—Railroad—Bridge

Banknote Characteristics

• Varieties: Only one variety. Dated 24 May 1997.
• Front: Portraits of 3 young women; flag being raised
• Back: Train engine hauling boxcars across viaduct over the Dogali River
• Color: Green tones
• Watermark: Camel's head
• Composition: Paper
• Size: 140 × 70 mm
  
• Issuing entity: Bank of Eritrea
• Printer: Giesecke+Devrient, Leipzig, Germany
• Demonetized: 1 January 2016
• Signatures: Isaias Afewerki (President) and Tekie Beyene (Central Bank Governor)
• Designer: Clarence Holbert
• Country: Eritrea
  • Pre-colonial era (ancient–1882)
  • Italian Eritrea (1882–1941)
  • Ethiopian administration (1941–1993, incl. as part of Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea 1952-1962).
    • During this period the  Eritrean War of Independence and Ethiopian Civil War took place
  • Independent State of Eritrea (1993–date) following the 1993 Eritrean independence referendum

About the Demonetization

On 1 January 2016, all old Eritrean Nakfa banknotes dated before 24 May 2015 were demonetized and now carry collector value only. They were redeemable at a bank within the first six weeks of demonetization.

Eritrea: Africa's Enigma on the Red Sea

Perched along the Red Sea coast of the Horn of Africa, Eritrea is one of the world's most isolated and least-visited countries — and one of its most fascinating. It gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a grueling 30-year liberation war, only to fall under the grip of President Isaias Afewerki, whose government is widely regarded as one of the world's most repressive dictatorships — sometimes called the "North Korea of Africa" for its closed borders, indefinite military conscription, and near-total suppression of press and political freedoms.

Yet step into the capital Asmara and the contradictions multiply. The city is a remarkably preserved showcase of Italian colonial architecture — Art Deco cinemas, futurist gas stations, modernist villas, and espresso bars that would not look out of place in Milan or Rome. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, Asmara is sometimes described as a time capsule: an Italian city frozen in the 1930s, transplanted to the African highlands. For collectors and travelers alike, Eritrea is a country of extraordinary depth hiding behind an almost impenetrable surface.

The Railroad That Refused to Die: Eritrea's Iron Lifeline

The Eritrean Railway was originally built by Italian colonial authorities between 1887 and 1932, winding 306 kilometers from the Red Sea port of Massawa through dramatic highland terrain to Asmara and beyond to Bishia. The line climbs nearly 2,400 meters in elevation over its route, crossing dozens of bridges and viaducts — including the one over the Dogali River shown on this note — making it an engineering feat that drew international admiration.

The railway fell into disuse and severe disrepair during the decades of war with Ethiopia. After independence in 1993, Eritrea undertook a celebrated effort to restore it, relying almost entirely on elderly veterans who had originally worked the line — rebuilding locomotives, tracks, and bridges largely by hand with salvaged parts. By the early 2000s, a portion of the line was operational again, and the restoration attracted global attention as a symbol of national pride and self-reliance.

Today, the railway remains only partially operational and is used primarily for tourism rather than freight or passenger transport. Regular service has been intermittent, hampered by economic constraints and the country’s broader isolation. Nevertheless, the Eritrean Railway endures as a powerful cultural icon — and its presence on this banknote reflects the deep significance Eritreans attach to it as a monument to resilience and independence.