The New 50,000 Guaraníes Banknote of Paraguay 2026 (Celsa and Adela Speratti and the Chacoan Peccary). Iberoamericana Banknotes

The Central Bank of Paraguay presented the new complete family of the country's banknotes on October 5, 2026, on the 83rd anniversary of the guaraní. The 50,000 guaraníes banknote is the one the BCP has dedicated to education and women, and it does so by keeping the two teachers who already starred in a denomination from the previous series on the scene: Celsa and Adela Speratti. The reverse, on the other hand, changes completely and moves to the Dry Chaco, the harshest and least known territory in Paraguay, with the taguá as the protagonist species.

The banknote is not yet in circulation: what was presented on October 5 are the designs. It is not for sale, but you can reserve it by writing to us via email or WhatsApp; we will hold it for you in uncirculated condition as soon as the BCP puts it into circulation and we are able to obtain it.

Why the 50,000 guaraníes is changing

The new series is the first comprehensive redesign of the guaraní in more than sixty years. In February 2023, the BCP awarded the design and origination to the French firm Oberthur Fiduciaire, and the work was carried out over three years with the advice of historians and biologists.

In the thematic journey organized by the family—indigenous peoples, missions, founding of the State, sovereignty, education, and arts—the 50,000 is the education banknote. And it is no coincidence that this chapter is embodied by two women: the BCP has explicitly presented this denomination as a tribute to the role of women in building modern Paraguay.

The honorees: Celsa and Adela Speratti

Adela Speratti (1865-1902) and Celsa Speratti (1868-1938) are the two great figures of Paraguayan education following the War of the Triple Alliance. Born in the midst of the war, daughters of a family that the conflict left in ruins, they trained as teachers and dedicated their lives to building an educational system practically from scratch in a devastated country, where the adult male population had been decimated.

They founded and directed normal schools, trained entire generations of teachers, and fought for the schooling of girls at a time when that was not taken for granted. Adela died young, at 37; Celsa continued the work for decades more. Their presence on the highest-value banknote after the 100,000 is a statement about what really rebuilt Paraguay after the catastrophe: the school.

The design of the 50,000 guaraníes banknote

Obverse (dominant light blue color):

• Portraits of Celsa and Adela Speratti, in intaglio printing.
• BANCO CENTRAL DEL PARAGUAY legend at the top.
• Value 50MIL in prominent numeral and CINCUENTA MIL GUARANÍES in letters.
• Optically variable element in intense green in the shape of a pitcher or ceramic piece, in reference to traditional Paraguayan pottery.
• Institutional stamps and year of issue.
• Borders with traditional weaving motifs.

Reverse (same blue range):

• Label ECORREGIÓN CHACO SECO.
• A taguá (Catagonus wagneri, the Chacoan peccary) as the protagonist species — one of the most extraordinary natural histories on the continent, which we discuss below.
• A characteristic tree of the Chaco —of the palo santo or samu'u type— as a central plant element.
• Traditional ceramic pieces represented on the left margin, linking with the element on the obverse.
• Value 50MIL and POPA SU GUARANÍ, the denomination in the Guaraní language, next to REPÚBLICA DEL PARAGUAY.
• Silhouette of the map of Paraguay with the ecoregion highlighted.

The Dry Chaco is the western half of the Paraguayan territory: a xerophytic forest of thorns, quebracho trees, and cacti, with summers of over 45 degrees, very little population, and biodiversity adapted to extreme conditions.

The taguá, an animal that was thought to be extinct

It deserves its own paragraph, because it is probably the most striking fact about the entire banknote. The taguá was scientifically described in 1930 from fossils, and for decades it was considered an extinct species from the Pleistocene. In 1975, a research team found it alive in the Paraguayan Chaco, where local residents knew it perfectly well. It was one of the great zoological rediscoveries of the 20th century: a “living fossil” that had been thought dead for millennia.

Today it is in danger of extinction due to habitat loss. That the BCP has chosen it for a high-value banknote is, in addition to an aesthetic decision, a conservationist stance.

Security features

Printed on cotton, this banknote carries the full repertoire of paper currency:

• New generation security thread.
• Watermark adapted to the new design, visible against the light.
• Optically variable ink in the pitcher-shaped element.
• Intaglio relief printing on portraits, legends, and tactile marks.
• Tactile marks and large, high-contrast numerals for people with visual disabilities.
• Microprinting with Paraguayan identity motifs.
• Differentiated format: about 7 mm longer than the 20,000 and 7 mm shorter than the 100,000.

Technical sheet

• Issuer: Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP).
• Denomination: 50,000 guaraníes.
• Design presentation: October 5, 2026.
• Substrate: cotton.
• Dominant color: light blue.
• Obverse: Celsa and Adela Speratti.
• Reverse: Dry Chaco Ecoregion, with the taguá.
• Format: common width for the family, second longest.
• Design and origination: Oberthur Fiduciaire (France).
• Printer: not confirmed; will be awarded by international tender.
• Print run and serial prefixes: not announced. The presentation images carry a sample numbering with prefix A (A00000000), typical of a specimen.
• Circulation date: not confirmed (press estimates between the first quarter of 2027 and 2028).

Numismatic and collection value

1. Two women on a high-value banknote. It is still rare for a country's high denominations to be starred by women, and that makes this banknote a must-have piece for the women's thematic collection.
2. The taguá is not on any other banknote in the world. A species rediscovered after being declared extinct, represented on paper currency, is exactly the kind of thematic rarity that fauna collectors pursue.
3. Continuity with the Sperattis. By keeping the same protagonists as in the previous series, it invites comparative collection between families: the outgoing version and the new one, side by side.
4. High value, less saved. High-denomination banknotes are immobilized less in collections, so uncirculated copies tend to become scarce sooner.
5. The Dry Chaco is territory little explored in numismatics. Few issues in the world represent a xerophytic forest; the reverse provides uniqueness to the set.

Why is it important for collectors?

• Banknote dedicated to education and Paraguayan women.
• Reverse with the taguá, a species rediscovered in 1975.
• Security thread, watermark, and optically variable ink.
• Dry Chaco ecoregion, rare in paper currency.
• Part of the first comprehensive redesign of the guaraní in more than sixty years.

Why reserve at Iberoamericana Banknotes

• Authenticity guaranteed with individual verification.
• Priority by order of reservation when stock arrives.
• Complete series of the six values, in addition to sale by denomination.
• International shipping with tracking and packaging for uncirculated banknotes.
• Specialized attention from collectors for collectors.
• Updates to this article as the BCP confirms data.

Reserve it now

To secure the new 50,000 guaraníes banknote of Paraguay 2026 in uncirculated condition, write to us via email or WhatsApp and you will be added to the reservation list, either alone or with the complete series of six values.

You have the full picture at The new guaraní banknotes of Paraguay 2026, and you can follow the series on the 20,000 guaraníes banknote 2026 and on the 100,000 guaraníes banknote 2026.

If you are interested in the theme of women honored on banknotes, don't miss our article on the 200 lempiras banknote of Honduras 2026 dedicated to Berta Cáceres.

Our section on Paraguay banknotes is available by clicking here.