50 Dollars 2012, Bermuda
| in Krause book | Number: 61a |
| Years of issue: | 08.2012 |
| Edition: | -- |
| Signatures: | Chairman: Mr. Alan C. Cossar, Director: Mr. Gerald Simmons |
| Serie: | 400 years of discovery of Bermuda |
| Specimen of: | 01.01.2009 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 140 х 68 |
| Printer: | TDLR (Thomas de la Rue & Company), London |
* 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:
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and a boat under sail. Cornerstones at all corners.
Avers:
The main Motive on banknote are the white-tailed tropicbirds - the national birds of Bermuda.
The white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) is a tropicbird, smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It occurs in the tropical Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Oceans. It also breeds on some Caribbean islands, and a few pairs have started nesting recently on Little Tobago, joining the red-billed tropicbird colony. In addition to the tropical Atlantic, it nests as far north as Bermuda, where it is locally called a "longtail".
The white-tailed tropicbird breeds on tropical islands laying a single egg directly onto the ground or a cliff ledge. It disperses widely across the oceans when not breeding, and sometimes wanders far. It feeds on fish and squid, caught by surface plunging, but this species is a poor swimmer. The call is a high screamed "keee-keee-krrrt-krrt-krrt". Sailors nicknamed the tropicbird the "bosun bird" due to the call's resemblance to a bosun's whistle.
The adult white-tailed tropicbird is a slender, mainly white bird, 71-80 cm long including the very long central tail feathers, which double its total length. The wingspan is 89-96 cm, and there is a black band on the inner wing There is black through the eye and the bill is orange-yellow to orange red. The bill colour, pure white back and black wing bar distinguish this species from red-billed.
Sexes are similar, although males average longer tailed, but juveniles lack the tail streamers, have a green-yellow bill, and a finely barred back. 
On the background is the flower Hibiscus rosa sinensis (same as watermark).
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, known colloquially as rose mallow, Chinese hibiscus, China rose and shoe flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to East Asia. By Bermuda guests mistakenly counted as endemic.
Above is Bermuda's coast in daytime and, again, the white-tailed tropicbird. Under it is a hologram window with Bermuda profile inside.
Bottom left is an image of HM The Queen. The new designs were described as "distinctly Bermudian", with Queen Elizabeth II being relegated to a minor position, using a royal effigy made by Arnold Machin.
Revers:
Along left border are butterflies Danaus plexippus.
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. It may be the most familiar North American butterfly. Its wings feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9-10.2 cm. (3½-4 in.) (the viceroy butterfly is similar in color and pattern, but is markedly smaller, and has an extra black stripe across the hind wing).
The eastern North American monarch population is notable for its multigenerational southward late summer/autumn migration from the United States and southern Canada to Mexico, covering thousands of miles. The western North American population of monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains most often migrate to sites in California but have been found in overwintering Mexico sites. Monarchs were transported to the international space station and were bred there.
Lower, at foreground, is St.Peter's church.
Their Majesties Chappell, St. Peter's Church, in St. George's, Bermuda, is the oldest surviving Anglican church in continuous use outside the British Isles. It is also reportedly the oldest continuously used Protestant church in the New World. A UNESCO World Heritage Site (together with related fortifications), St. George's Town is the oldest surviving English settlement in the New World, having been settled by the Virginia Company in 1612 (in the aftermath of the wrecking of its flagship, the Sea Venture, in Bermuda in 1609). You can read more about it at 10 Dollars 2009.
The church was established immediately after the founding of the settlement, although the original building, fashioned from wood with a thatched roof, was quickly destroyed. Bermuda is famously stormy, and it was necessary to rebuild the church more than once over the following century, the final structure being of limestone walls, with a limestone slate roof lain on a framework of Bermuda cedar. The oldest parts of the current structure date to 1620, though the building has been much expanded and improved since.
2012 marks the 400th year since the founding of St. Peter's Church. It is also the Diamond Jubilee year of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. On 18 March, 2012, the Queen granted St. Peter's the title Their Majesties' Chappell.
Above the Chappell is, again, the white-tailed tropicbird.
At the top is a sunset and, again, same bird.
Comments:
In 2009 came out $50 bill which, mistakenly, instead of white-tailed tropicbird (a frequent guest in Bermuda) was depicted Red-billed tropicbird, which is not found in Bermuda. The error has been fixed with the new release of 2012.
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