50 rupiah 1968

Common. This note remains common in the modern collector market, as evidenced by consistent eBay sales data showing regular transactions with AU-graded examples typically selling in the $8-16 range and PMG-graded specimens (PMG 64-66) selling between $10-57 USD. The note had a substantial print run and was never recalled. Current catalog values (2019) list UNC at $7.50 USD, consistent with common status. The denomination, being a lower mid-range value, saw significant circulation and surviving examples in all grades are readily available.

Issued in 1968, this note was produced during Indonesia's post-Sukarno transition period under President Suharto's early New Order regime, a time of economic restructuring and modernization. The obverse's portrait of General Sudirman, the revered independence struggle leader, reinforced national identity and revolutionary continuity, while the reverse's depiction of aircraft maintenance in a hangar symbolized Indonesia's aspirations toward industrial development and technological progress in the 1960s. The note's design reflects the nation's focus on practical economic development and infrastructure modernization during this pivotal decade.

The obverse features a left-facing profile portrait of General Sudirman (Babad Sudiryanto, 1915-1950), the paramount independence war hero and first commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, rendered in fine reddish-brown engraving. The central design incorporates the Indonesian national coat of arms (Garuda Pancasila) with its distinctive shield and geometric patterns on the right side, flanked by ornate scrollwork and floral decorative borders. The reverse depicts an aircraft maintenance scene set in a hangar facility, showing multiple workers engaged in the repair and maintenance of a Douglas DC-3 aircraft—a critical transport plane for the young Indonesian nation—with warehouse structures, elevated walkways, and period-appropriate industrial equipment. The denomination '50' appears in ornamental frames at all four corners of both sides, with fine line-work security patterns integrated throughout the border designs.

Front: 'BANK INDONESIA' (Bank Indonesia), 'LIMA PULUH RUPIAH' (Fifty Rupiah), '1968' (year of issue), 'DIREKTSI' (Directorate), 'GUBERNUR' (Governor), 'M SADJI ROEN DEL' (likely engraver/designer credit), 'P.N. PERJUETAKAN KEBAJORAN IMP' (printer: P.N. Pertjetakan Kebajoran), '50' (denomination in corners). Back: 'RAH0041819' (serial number), '50' (denomination markers on left and right sides), with partially legible Indonesian text at bottom left relating to the note's specifications or issuing authority.

This note was produced using intaglio (line engraving) printing by Pertjetakan Kebajoran (P.N. Perjuetakan Kebajoran), the designated printer for Bank Indonesia currency at that period. The fine, intricate line work visible throughout both sides, the sharp detail in the portrait, the complex border designs, and the precise security patterns characteristic of high-quality banknote production indicate traditional copper-plate intaglio engraving combined with multi-color offset printing for the background underprint. The technique created the deeply detailed, three-dimensional appearance evident in the preserved specimen.

This specific example carries the serial number prefix 'RAH' and sequential number '0041819', which falls within the standard series for 1968 issuance. No major varieties are documented for the 1968 50 Rupiah Pick P-107 issue. The signature block identifies this as the standard Direktur/Gubernur (Director/Governor) signed version issued under Bank Indonesia's standard protocols for 1968. No overprints, date variations, or significant design modifications are known for this particular denomination and year combination.