5 Dollars 1987, Belize
| in Krause book | Number: 47a |
| Years of issue: | 01.01.1987 |
| Edition: | 883 312 |
| Signatures: | Governor: Mr. Alan Slusher, Financial secretary: Mr. Henry Edney Conrad Cain, Director: Mrs. Yvette Alvarez |
| Serie: | Act 1982. 1983 - 1987 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 01.01.1987 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 158 х 64 |
| Printer: | Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company Limited, New Malden |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Sleeping Giant - the sculpture by Belize sculptor George Gabb.
George Gabb's epic art piece, The Sleeping Giant, has become the face of the Belize Documentary Series called Belize Legends. For many Belizeans at home and abroad, it portrays a humble and proud people, who many have come to believe presents a laid back personality, that appears quite submissive and apathetic. Until it wakes up and breaks up the circus. There is a Belizean saying that goes: "Belize brukup bigga circus dan dat!"
Oh, what a day when the Sleeping Giant awakes!
Avers:
HM The Queen Elizabeth II.
This portrait of Her Majesty is adapted from a photograph, taken prior to a Royal Tour of India and Pakistan by Anthony Buckley in October 1960, and it is one of the more widely used images of The Queen.(Peter Symes)
I found this image here "National Portrait Gallery". The portrait on banknote is, probably, taken from this photo session.
Her Majesty is shown wearing Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara, the King George VI Festoon Necklace, and Queen Mary's Floret Earrings.
The Kokoshnik Tiara, which is sometimes known as the Russian Fringe Tiara, was designed in the style of a Russian peasant girl's headdress. The design of the Kokoshnik tiara was based on a similar tiara, owned by Queen Alexandra's sister, The Empress of Russia. Created by "Garrard", the tiara has sixty-one platinum bars set with 488 diamonds. The tiara was presented to Queen Alexandra, while still a princess, on the occasion of her silver wedding anniversary. It was a gift from three hundred and sixty-five peeresses of the realm. The Festoon Necklace was created from one hundred and five diamonds, at the request of King George VI, from diamonds he inherited on becoming King.
In 1950, King George VI had a diamond necklace created for his daughter Princess Elizabeth using 105 loose collets that were among the Crown heirlooms he inherited. (These, according to Hugh Roberts, had been used by Queen Mary to change the lengths of her multiple diamond collet necklaces, hence their loose status in the collection.) The end result is this take on a triple strand necklace: three strands of graduated collets suspended between two diamond triangles, with a single collet strand at the back. This is also called simply the Queen’s Festoon Necklace, though I’ll use George VI’s name to be a little more specific.
Even though her collection of diamond necklaces has vastly increased since 1950, this is still a favorite with the Queen and she wears it on a fairly regular basis."From her Majesty's Jewel vault".
These diamond and platinum earrings are another example of the multiple changes Queen Mary made to her jewels. The large central stones are the Mackinnon diamonds, a pair of solitaire earrings that were a wedding gift from Sir William Mackinnon to Mary for her wedding in 1893.
The stones were then set as the center of another pair, Queen Mary's Cluster Earrings. Later on, they were replaced and a new setting was created by Garrard, Queen Mary's Floret Earrings. In their new setting, each one is surrounded by seven slightly smaller diamonds. The earrings were inherited by the Queen on Queen Mary's death in 1953. She wears them for occasions like the State Opening of Parliament, the Garter Day ceremony, and other formal events. "From her Majesty's Jewel vault"
The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly 300 meters (980 ft.) offshore in the north and 40 kilometers (25 mi.) in the south within the country limits. The Belize Barrier Reef is a 300-kilometer (190 mi.) long section of the 900-kilometers (560 mi.) Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is continuous from Cancún on the north-eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula through the Riviera Maya and up to Honduras, making it one of the largest coral reef systems in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the New Caledonia Barrier Reef.
Underwater scene on the Belize reef. Corals, fishing net, a school of fish, presumably, glasseye snapper or catalufa, about 30 cm in length. There are living in the Atlantic and the Pacific.
The glasseye or glass bigeye (Heteropriacanthus cruentatus) is a species of fish found in tropical seas around the globe.
On right side is The Atlantic spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber). It is a species of marine fish endemic to the western Atlantic Ocean. They are commonly found in shallow waters off the coast of the southeastern United States and in the Caribbean. The Atlantic spadefish has a very deep, compressed, disk-shaped body and a blunt snout. he body is silver in color with irregular black vertical bands that fade gradually with age. The Atlantic spadefish is known by numerous colloquial names, including angelfish, white angelfish, threetailed porgy, ocean cobbler, and moonfish.
In upper left corner is the coat of arms of Belize.
The Coat of Arms of Belize was adopted upon independence, and the current coat of arms is only slightly different from that used when Belize was a British colony.
The circular border of the coat is formed by twenty-five leaves. Within the circle is a mahogany tree, in front of which is a shield tierced per pall inverted. Within the shield are the tools of a woodcutter in the upper sections and a ship in the lower one. These are symbolic of the importance of mahogany in the XVIII and XIX century Belizean economy.
The shield is supported by two wood-cutters of different races. The one on the left is holding an axe, while the one on the right is holding an oar. Again the importance of the mahogany and its importance to boat building are represented. At the bottom is the national motto: "SUB UMBRA FLOREO" (Under The Shade I Flourish).
In the upper right corner is the sun god of Maya Indians - Kinich Ahau (Jade head).
Kinich Ahau - The Maya Sun God. Ever since its discovery, the jade head has been the subject of much controversy among Belizeans. For years most of us have believed that, shortly after its discovery, this unique Maya masterpiece was spirited out of the country and never returned to its rightful home.
The fact is that this priceless jade head is always in Belize under secure guard except when it is loaned for specific archaeological exhibitions abroad. The jade head was discovered at in the Belize District's Maya site of Altun Ha in 1968 by Dr. David Pendergast of the Royal Ontario Museum of Canada.
The head, along with forty other objects, had been placed within a large tomb that was located below the stair block on the Temple of the Masonry Altars. At the center of the tomb were the remains of an elderly adult male. This elite person was likely an important ruler of the site during his lifetime and may have commissioned an artist to produce the large carved object. We do not know the exact date that the head was carved, but analysis of cultural remains within the tomb suggests that the burial, and accompanying grave goods, were deposited in the structure sometime between 600 and 650 A.D.
Despite its small size and seemingly marginal location, Altun Ha was an ancient Maya community of great complexity and wealth. It was an important link in the coastal trade routes, and had contact with the distant city of Teotihuacan in present-day Mexico at an early time in Maya history. The earliest evidence of settlement at Altun Ha dates to 200 B.C, although it is highly probable that nomadic hunter and gathering tribes lived in the area long before then.
Weighing 9.75 pounds and standing almost 6 inches high, the jade head remains the single largest carved jade object yet discovered in the Maya area. Its crossed eyes, fang-like elements on either side of the mouth, and the ahau glyph on the forehead all identify the head as a representation of the Maya sun god Kinich Ahau. Along with Chac (rain god) and Yum Kax (corn god), Kinich Ahau was among the most important deities in the Maya pantheon. Picture: Three different views of the Kinich Ahau jade head.
The Altun Ha jade head is truly a remarkable object and exquisite work of art. It is the only one of its kind in all of Mesoamerica. Because it was carved with nothing more than stone tools, we know that it may have taken many months, if not years, to produce. It was also carved from one large solid piece of jade that was imported from the Motagua River Valley region of Guatemala. Jade was also the most precious of stones to the Maya. Beside its exotic origins, its green colour reflected that of water and the corn plant, the two most precious, life sustaining substances to the ancient Maya of northern Belize.
As it undoubtedly was to the prehistoric inhabitants of Altun Ha, the jade head continues to be a most important icon to the people of Belize today. It is prominently displayed on all Belize currency and has become an important symbol of our young nation. It is truly a remarkable work of art and everyone should make every effort to view it whenever it goes on display. (Belize.com)
Denominations in numerals are in three corners. In words is centered, at the top.
Revers:
On the left side is Atlantic spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) is a species of marine fish endemic to the western Atlantic Ocean. They are commonly found in shallow waters off the coast of the southeastern United States and in the Caribbean.
Lower left is the green iguana or common iguana (Iguana iguana) is a large, arboreal, mostly herbivorous species of lizard of the genus Iguana native to Central, South America, and the Caribbean. Usually, this animal is simply called the iguana. The green iguana ranges over a large geographic area, from southern Brazil and Paraguay as far north as Mexico and the Caribbean Islands. They are very common throughout Puerto Rico, where they are collaquially known as "Gallina de palo" and considered as an invasive species introduced from South America; in the United States feral populations exist in South Florida (including the Florida Keys), Hawaii, and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
In the middle is the National Assembly building on Independence Hill in Belmopan.
The National Assembly Building of Belize is the home of Belize's two houses of Parliament, House of Representatives (lower house) and Senate of Belize.
Opened on October 9, 1971, the building is within a complex of government buildings at Melhado Parade on Independence Plaza in Belmopan and mimics Pre-Columbian Mayan and Brutalist architectural designs. The Building is flanked by two three storey buildings that houses offices.
On the right side is the Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria). It is a large stork found in the Americas from Mexico to Argentina, except west of the Andes. It is most common in the Pantanal region of Brazil and the Eastern Chaco region of Paraguay. It is the only member of the genus Jabiru. The name comes from a Tupi-Guaraní language and means "swollen neck".
Logo of Central Bank of Belize.
Denominations in numerals are in three corners. In words is in lower right corner.
Comments:
Culture of Belize dates back to the origins of the Maya Indians, whose descendants still live in the country. Priceless historical heritage which - the temples and palaces of the great civilization. Most major centers of the Maya extant are - Shunantunich (on the border with Guatemala), Altun Ha, Caracol, Quay, Lamanai and others. These ancient cultural centers are not known until the end and they represent great value for historians and archaeologists. Stepped pyramids, huge masks and reliefs on temple walls Lamanai, mysterious and picturesque Lubaantun, in which was found the famous, the controversial scientists crystal skull. In the town of Cahal Pech can see a lot of famous Maya's "false arches", constituting one of the mysteries and the characteristics of Maya architecture. Altun Ha, one of the largest archaeological centers in the country, known for its burial, in which were found exquisite ornaments of jade and sea shells.
Also of interest are national parks and reserves of the country, including the world's only jaguar reserve.
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