Strength and Sovereignty
VEN108b, 2018, 500 VES

Slot Comment:

Bolivares Soberanos (Sovereign Bolivar)

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Note Details

  

Set Details
Note Description: 500 Bolívares 2018 - Printer: CMV
Grade: 67 EPQ
Country: Venezuela
Note Number: VEN108b
Signatures/
Vignettes: 		- Wmk: S. Bolívar & BCV
Certification #: 8081502-011
Owner: Revenant
Set Category: World
Set Name: Strength and Sovereignty
Slot Name: VEN108b, 2018, 500 VES
Research: Currently not available

Owner's Description

The front of this note features a portrait of Simon Bolivar - not the same one that was used on the P-93, P-99, and P-100 notes. Whenever a new, larger, 6 to 8 note series comes out Bolivar is consistently on the final and highest denomination of the series. Whenever there is a shorter 1-3 note series release, he is usually on all of them. So, he is featured on VEN93, VEN99, VEN100, VEN108 (this note), and VEN110-VEN114 (two 3-note series released in 2019 and 2021). There is more information on Bolivar’s life in my description for VEN99 and there’s more information of his (multiple) burial / grave site(s) in the description for VEN111 - one of which appears on VEN109-VEN111.

The back of the note shows a Venezuelan troupial (Icterus icterus) with Macarao National Park in the background. The Venezuelan troupial (Icterus icterus) is the national bird of Venezuela - which makes it a little surprising that it did not show up on these notes sooner than this / on earlier issues in the Fuertes and Soberanos series. It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, and the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, and Puerto Rico. Previously part of a superspecies simply named the troupial, it was recently split-off with the orange-backed troupial and Campo troupial. The term troupial is from French troupiale, from troupe (“troop”), so named because they live in flocks. The birds are fairly large in size, with a long tail and a bulky bill. They have a black head and upper breast. The tail and wings are mostly white and black, and the rest of the bird is mostly this orange-gold color. They inhabit dry areas like woodlands, forest, dry scrub, plains, and open savanna. They forage for insects, a wide variety of fruit, small birds and eggs. They are nest pirates that take over vacant nests or force other birds out of nests rather than making their own and breed from March to September.

Macarao National Park was declared a national park in 1973. It covers about 15,000 hectares (150 square km), right on the north-central coast of the country. It contributes to meeting the drinking water needs of the City of Caracas. It is very mountainous, seems to have a lot of woods, and supports scientific and educational excursions - but it does not seem to have the status as a tourist attraction and get-away spot as other national parks featured on these notes. It is good to have respect for where your drinking water comes from though.

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