{"product_id":"madagascar-p-97-p101-set-of-5-100-200-500-1000-2000-ariary-unc-madagascar-and-its-riches","title":"Madagascar P-97—P-101 Set of 5 (100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000 Ariary) ND (2017) UNC—Madagascar and Its Riches—Cathedral, Poison Frog, Waterfall, Lemur","description":"\u003cp\u003eA complete five-note set celebrating Madagascar's extraordinary biodiversity and cultural landmarks. Issued under the Fourth Republic, this Madagascar and Its Riches series showcases the island's endemic wildlife, dramatic landscapes, and architectural heritage in vivid multicolor designs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSet Contents\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eP-97 100 Ariary — Ambozontany Cathedral, Madagascar Poison Frog, Comet Moth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eP-98 200 Ariary — Waterfall, Palm Tree\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eP-99 500 Ariary — Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, Tsingy Rouge, Comet Moth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eP-100 1000 Ariary — Kamoro Bridge, Comet Moth, La Reine de l'Isalo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eP-101 2000 Ariary — Lac Alaotra Gentle Lemur, Madagascar Pitcher Plant\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003e100 Ariary (P-97)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 100 Ariary anchors this series with Fianarantsoa's iconic Ambozontany Cathedral set against the city's hillside panorama, paired with the jewel-toned poison frog that exists nowhere else on Earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark navy blue dominant engraving color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTeal and cyan multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYellow central oval; orange-red and green accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmbozontany cathedral with the view of Fianarantsoa at right\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eButterfly at left\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap outline of Madagascar to the right of the word ARIARY at the top\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBirds in flight to the right of the cathedral\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignatures: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2017 P-97a) or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenri Edmond Rabarijohn\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2022)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark navy blue dominant engraving color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLight blue and orange underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlack serial numbers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMadagascar poison frog (\u003cem\u003eMantella baroni\u003c\/em\u003e) at center\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWaterfall in the background\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVolute shell\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComet moth a.k.a. Madagascan moon moth (\u003cem\u003eArgema mittrei\u003c\/em\u003e) at far right\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBilingual anti-counterfeiting warning in Malagasy and French\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarieties — P-97a ND (2017) Gov. Alain Herve Rasolofondraibe \u003cstrong\u003e— this note\u003c\/strong\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-97 ND (2022) Gov. Henri Edmond Rabarijohn\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-97 ND (2025) Gov. Aivo Andrianarivelo\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatalog numbers: P-97a; TBB B397a; Numista N#202898\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatermark: Head of a zebu (\u003cem\u003eBos taurus indicus\u003c\/em\u003e); electrotype 100 below\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComposition: Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSize: 114 × 60 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIssuing entity: Central Bank of Madagascar (Banky Foiben'i Madagasikara)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinter: Giesecke+Devrient, Leipzig\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDemonetized: No — current legal tender\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignatures: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCurrency: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malagasy_ariary\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMalagasy ariary\u003c\/a\u003e (2003–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOfficial\/spoken language: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malagasy_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMalagasy\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/French_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFrench\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Madagascar\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCapital: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Antananarivo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAntananarivo\u003c\/a\u003e (city pop ~1.3 million, metro pop ~3.6 million)\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eOrigin of name: City of the Thousand — the thousand warriors King Andrianjaka stationed there in the 17th century\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrigin of name: from Madageiscar, Marco Polo's corrupted transliteration of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mogadishu\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMogadishu\u003c\/a\u003e (Somalia), mistakenly applied to the island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePopulation: ~30 million (UN 2023) — similar to Texas or Poland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArea: 587,041 km² (226,658 mi²) — slightly larger than France or Texas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGDP per capita at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e: ~$1,700 (2023) — among the world's poorest\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMain exports: vanilla (world's largest producer), cloves, coffee, seafood, textiles, nickel, cobalt\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBorders: Island nation in the Indian Ocean, separated from Mozambique by the Mozambique Channel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEthnicities: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Merina_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMerina\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Betsimisaraka_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBetsimisaraka\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Betsileo_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBetsileo\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sakalava_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSakalava\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tsimihety_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTsimihety\u003c\/a\u003e, and 13+ other Malagasy groups\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMemberships: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (1960); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/African_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAfrican Union\u003c\/a\u003e (suspended 2009–2014); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Southern_African_Development_Community\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSADC\u003c\/a\u003e (2005); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_Trade_Organization\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eWTO\u003c\/a\u003e (1995); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/La_Francophonie\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFrancophonie\u003c\/a\u003e (1970)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSovereignty:\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEarly kingdoms (1540–1897) — Merina Kingdom unified much of the island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrench colonization (1897–1960) — annexed after Franco-Hova Wars\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMalagasy Republic (1960–1975) — independence\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDemocratic Republic (1975–1992) — socialist period\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThird Republic (1992–2010) — democratic transition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFourth Republic (2010–date) — \u003cstrong\u003ethis note issued during this period\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eMadagascar Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMadagascar is the world's fourth-largest island, yet 88% of its wildlife exists nowhere else on Earth — the highest endemism rate of any comparable landmass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe island broke away from Africa 165 million years ago, then from India 88 million years ago, creating an evolutionary laboratory where lemurs, fossas, and chameleons evolved in complete isolation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans arrived only around 500 AD, when Austronesian seafarers from Borneo crossed 4,000 miles of open ocean in outrigger canoes, making Malagasy more closely related to Indonesian than to any African language.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe country produces 80% of the world's natural vanilla, yet most Malagasy farmers have never tasted it — the entire crop is exported while locals face chronic malnutrition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe southern region faces the world's first climate-driven famine, where 1.3 million people survive on cactus fruit and locusts because four consecutive years without rain have turned farmland to dust.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Cathedral on the Hill\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmbozontany Cathedral rises from Fianarantsoa's upper town like a pink granite sentinel, its twin spires visible for miles across the highland rice terraces. Norwegian Lutheran missionaries built it in 1870–1871, choosing the highest point in the City of Good Learning to symbolize Christianity's triumph over traditional Malagasy beliefs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Jewel Frog of the Rainforest\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Madagascar poison frog (\u003cem\u003eMantella baroni\u003c\/em\u003e) blazes across the note's reverse in electric orange and black. Unlike South American poison dart frogs, \u003cem\u003eMantella\u003c\/em\u003e species don't synthesize their own toxins — they sequester them from the mites and ants they eat, making captive-bred specimens completely harmless.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Moth That Defies Logic\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe comet moth (\u003cem\u003eArgema mittrei\u003c\/em\u003e) is one of the world's largest silk moths, with a wingspan reaching 20 centimeters and tail streamers extending another 15. It lives for only 4–5 days as an adult, emerging from its cocoon with no mouth or digestive system — its sole purpose is to mate before its stored energy runs out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn This Window Into Island Evolution\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis set captures Madagascar at a crossroads. The 100 Ariary note, issued in 2017, is a field guide, a history lesson, and a conservation plea printed on paper — circulated through markets where vanilla farmers and zebu herders still use cash because mobile money hasn't reached the highlands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003e200 Ariary (P-98)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 200 Ariary takes you north to Madagascar's oldest national park, where a waterfall plunges through ancient rainforest and a palm species found nowhere else on Earth clings to limestone karst.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark blue-grey dominant engraving color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlue and grey multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYellow-orange central oval; red dot scatter accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWaterfall in the Montagne d'Ambre National Park (Amber Mountain NP)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eButterfly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap outline of Madagascar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBirds in flight\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignatures: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2017 P-98a) or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenri Edmond Rabarijohn\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2022) or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAivo Handriatiana Andrianarivelo\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2025)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark blue-grey dominant engraving color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlue and grey underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYellow-orange central oval; red dot scatter; teal coastal water accent\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEndemic Madagascar palm (\u003cem\u003ePachypodium baronii\u003c\/em\u003e) at Nosy Hara National Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVolute shell\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComet moth a.k.a. Madagascan moon moth (\u003cem\u003eArgema mittrei\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarieties — P-98a ND (2017) Gov. Alain Herve Rasolofondraibe \u003cstrong\u003e— this note\u003c\/strong\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-98 ND (2022) Gov. Henri Edmond Rabarijohn\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-98 ND (2025) Gov. Aivo Handriatiana Andrianarivelo\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatalog numbers: P-98a; TBB B333a; Numista N#202900\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatermark: Head of a zebu (\u003cem\u003eBos taurus indicus\u003c\/em\u003e); electrotype 200 below\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComposition: Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSize: 119 × 62 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIssuing entity: Central Bank of Madagascar (Banky Foiben'i Madagasikara)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinter: Giesecke+Devrient, Leipzig\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDemonetized: No — current legal tender\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignatures: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCurrency: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malagasy_ariary\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMalagasy ariary\u003c\/a\u003e (2003–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOfficial\/spoken language: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malagasy_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMalagasy\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/French_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFrench\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Park That Predates the Republic\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMontagne d'Ambre was Madagascar's first national park, gazetted in 1958, two years before independence — a rainforest island within an island, rising from dry savanna to mist-draped peaks at 1,475 meters. The Cascade Sacrée on this note is an 80-meter plunge into a pool so clear you can count the fish, considered sacred by local Antankarana communities for centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Palm That Shouldn't Exist\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePachypodium baronii\u003c\/em\u003e is not technically a palm — it's a succulent in the dogbane family that evolved palm-like form independently on the limestone karst of northern Madagascar. It grows on near-vertical cliff faces at Nosy Hara, above waters sheltering dugongs, whale sharks, and hawksbill turtles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn This Portrait of the North\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 200 Ariary is the quietest note in the set — just water falling through ancient forest and a spiny plant defying gravity on a limestone cliff. Legal tender that doubles as a field guide to two of the island's most remote protected areas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003e500 Ariary (P-99)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 500 Ariary is the set's most politically charged note — the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga on the obverse is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the spiritual heart of the Merina kingdom. On the reverse, the Tsingy Rouge answers with pure geology: red laterite needles carved by the Irodo River into a landscape that looks like another planet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark brown dominant engraving color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSalmon and peach underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYellow central oval; orange-red guilloche borders; blue-green butterfly accent\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoyal Hill of Ambohimanga, Antananarivo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eButterfly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap outline of Madagascar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBirds in flight\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignatures: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2017 P-99a) or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenri Edmond Rabarijohn\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2022) or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAivo Andrianarivelo\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2023)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark brown dominant engraving color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSalmon and orange underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYellow central oval; orange dot scatter; teal decorative border strip at bottom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTsingy Rouge — red laterite stone formation carved by erosion of the Irodo River, Ankarangona, Diana region, northern Madagascar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVolute shell\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComet moth a.k.a. Madagascan moon moth (\u003cem\u003eArgema mittrei\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarieties — P-99a ND (2017) Gov. Alain Herve Rasolofondraibe \u003cstrong\u003e— this note\u003c\/strong\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-99 ND (2022) Gov. Henri Edmond Rabarijohn\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-99 ND (2023) Gov. Aivo Andrianarivelo\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatalog numbers: P-99a; Numista N#202902\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatermark: Head of a zebu (\u003cem\u003eBos taurus indicus\u003c\/em\u003e); electrotype 500 below\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComposition: Hybrid substrate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSize: 124 × 66 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIssuing entity: Central Bank of Madagascar (Banky Foiben'i Madagasikara)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinter: Giesecke+Devrient, Leipzig\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDemonetized: No — current legal tender\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignatures: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCurrency: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malagasy_ariary\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMalagasy ariary\u003c\/a\u003e (2003–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOfficial\/spoken language: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malagasy_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMalagasy\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/French_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFrench\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Sacred Hill the French Couldn't Erase\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ambohimanga\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAmbohimanga\u003c\/a\u003e — the Blue Hill — was the original capital of the Merina kingdom. The French banned Malagasy people from visiting it after the 1896 annexation. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 2001. The royal enclosure, the sacred pool, the ancient gates sealed by a single stone disk — all intact, all still used for \u003cem\u003efamadihana\u003c\/em\u003e ceremonies, where the dead are exhumed, rewrapped in fresh silk, and danced with by the living.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Red Needles of the North\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTsingy Rouge is the lesser-known sibling of Tsingy de Bemaraha — but where Bemaraha's tsingy is grey limestone, the Irodo River has carved the Diana region's iron-rich laterite into formations the color of dried blood. The word \u003cem\u003etsingy\u003c\/em\u003e means \"where one cannot walk barefoot.\" The formations are still actively eroding with each wet season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Note Worth Noticing\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 500 Ariary is the first note in the series printed on hybrid substrate — a polymer-paper composite adding durability and security features invisible to the naked eye. Own the hill where Madagascar's kings are buried and the red needles that time is slowly dissolving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003e1000 Ariary (P-100)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 1000 Ariary is the engineering note of the set — the Kamoro bridge on the obverse is a feat of infrastructure in a country where most rivers are crossed by dugout canoe or not at all. The reverse pairs it with La Reine de l'Isalo, a sandstone formation eroding into its current silhouette for 200 million years. The comet moth appears on both sides — the only subject in the series to do so.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark navy blue dominant engraving color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLavender and purple multicolor underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYellow central oval; orange-red denomination numerals; gold geometric border strip at bottom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKamoro bridge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComet moth (\u003cem\u003eArgema mittrei\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBirds in flight\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignatures: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2017 P-100a) or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenri Edmond Rabarijohn\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2022) or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAivo Andrianarivelo\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark navy blue dominant engraving color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLavender and purple underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYellow-orange central oval; orange-red dot scatter; dark navy comet moth motif at right\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRock formation \"La Reine de l'Isalo\" (Queen of Isalo) in \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Isalo_National_Park\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIsalo National Park\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComet moth (\u003cem\u003eArgema mittrei\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBilingual anti-counterfeiting warning in Malagasy and French\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarieties — P-100a ND (2017) Gov. Alain Herve Rasolofondraibe \u003cstrong\u003e— this note\u003c\/strong\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-100 ND (2022) Gov. Henri Edmond Rabarijohn\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-100 ND (2024) Gov. Aivo Andrianarivelo\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatalog numbers: P-100a; TBB B335a; Numista N#202908\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatermark: Head of a zebu (\u003cem\u003eBos taurus indicus\u003c\/em\u003e); electrotype 1000 below\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComposition: Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTechnique: Intaglio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSize: 129 × 69 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIssuing entity: Central Bank of Madagascar (Banky Foiben'i Madagasikara)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinter: Giesecke+Devrient, Leipzig\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDemonetized: No — current legal tender\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignatures: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCurrency: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malagasy_ariary\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMalagasy ariary\u003c\/a\u003e (2003–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOfficial\/spoken language: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malagasy_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMalagasy\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/French_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFrench\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Bridge That Changed the Map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMadagascar has roughly 50,000 kilometers of roads, of which fewer than 12,000 are paved. During the rainy season, entire regions become inaccessible. A bridge is not infrastructure in Madagascar — it is a lifeline. The Kamoro bridge spans the Kamoro River in the Menabe region, connecting communities that otherwise depend on seasonal ferries or long detours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Queen Who Has Ruled for 200 Million Years\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Isalo_National_Park\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIsalo National Park\u003c\/a\u003e covers 81,540 hectares of Jurassic sandstone massif in south-central Madagascar. La Reine de l'Isalo — the Queen of Isalo — is a silhouette of layered sandstone that from the right angle resembles a reclining figure. The Bara people have lived in and around Isalo for centuries, using its caves as burial sites.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn the Note That Connects Madagascar to Itself\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 1000 Ariary's intaglio printing gives it a tactile quality the lower denominations lack — run a finger across the lettering and you feel the ink raised from the surface. A bridge. A queen of stone. A moth that lives four days and dies having done everything it came to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003e2000 Ariary (P-101)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2000 Ariary closes the set with Madagascar's two most improbable life forms: a lemur that lives in a papyrus swamp, and a carnivorous plant that drowns insects in digestive fluid. The highest denomination in the series, issued two months before its siblings on July 17, 2017, it is also the rarest — Numista rarity index 16.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDark teal dominant engraving color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCream and pale yellow central oval on olive-gold underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrange-red denomination numerals at left; gold geometric border strip at bottom; red-pink flower accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLac Alaotra gentle lemur (\u003cem\u003eHapalemur alaotrensis\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignatures: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2017 P-101a) or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenri Edmond Rabarijohn\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2022) or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAivo Handriatiana Andrianarivelo\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov., ND 2023)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOlive-brown dominant engraving color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOlive-gold and cream underprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYellow central oval; green and red pitcher plant; magenta dot scatter accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMadagascar pitcher plant (\u003cem\u003eNepenthes madagascariensis\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarieties — P-101a ND (2017) Gov. Alain Herve Rasolofondraibe, prefix A–D \u003cstrong\u003e— this note\u003c\/strong\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-101r ND (2017) replacement note, prefix Z, Gov. Alain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-101 ND (2022) Gov. Henri Edmond Rabarijohn\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eP-101 ND (2023) Gov. Aivo Handriatiana Andrianarivelo, prefix E\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatalog numbers: P-101a; TBB B336a; Numista N#202985\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatermark: Head of a zebu (\u003cem\u003eBos taurus indicus\u003c\/em\u003e); electrotype 2000 below\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComposition: Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSize: 134 × 72 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIssuing entity: Central Bank of Madagascar (Banky Foiben'i Madagasikara)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinter: Giesecke+Devrient, Leipzig\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDemonetized: No — current legal tender\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignatures: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.banky-foibe.mg\/en\/gouverneur\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlain Herve Rasolofondraibe\u003c\/a\u003e (Gov.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCurrency: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malagasy_ariary\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMalagasy ariary\u003c\/a\u003e (2003–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOfficial\/spoken language: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Malagasy_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMalagasy\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/French_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFrench\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Lemur That Lives in a Lake\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lac_Alaotra_gentle_lemur\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eHapalemur alaotrensis\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e — the bandro — exists in exactly one place on Earth: the papyrus and reed beds surrounding Lac Alaotra, Madagascar's largest lake. It is the only primate in the world adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. The total wild population is estimated at fewer than 2,500 individuals. When the last Lac Alaotra wetland goes, the bandro goes with it — there is no backup habitat, no alternative range, no plan B.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Plant That Eats What Falls In\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNepenthes madagascariensis\u003c\/em\u003e is one of only two pitcher plant species native to Madagascar, growing in coastal lowland bogs where the soil is so nutrient-poor that photosynthesis alone cannot sustain growth. Its leaves have evolved into hanging pitchers filled with digestive enzymes — insects slip on the waxy inner surface and drown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn the Complete Record of an Island at Its Limits\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFive notes. Five denominations. Five windows into a country that contains more biological uniqueness per square kilometer than almost anywhere on Earth — and is losing it faster than almost anywhere on Earth. The cathedral still stands. The poison frog still breeds in eastern rainforests. The bandro still swims in Lac Alaotra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis set is a document of what existed. Own it while the originals still do.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51993969590583,"sku":"MG97UNC","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/set-of-5.png?v=1776381955","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/madagascar-p-97-p101-set-of-5-100-200-500-1000-2000-ariary-unc-madagascar-and-its-riches","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}