AZERBAIJAN Pick#....................17b Banknote Book # 307b Denomination ....500 Manat Date.....................(1993) Condition?...?.UNC Dimensions... 63x125mm Comments?......Maiden Tower on front. Arabesque reverse. 2nd image is note viewed under UV (ultraviolet) light. According to one legend, an emperor had a daughter and one day, an oracle prophesied that she would be killed by a venomous snake on her 18th birthday. The emperor, in an effort to thwart his daughter's early demise by placing her away from land so as to keep her away from any snakes, had the tower built in the middle of the Bosporus to protect his daughter until her 18th birthday. The princess was placed in the tower, where she was frequently visited only by her father. On the 18th birthday of the princess, the emperor brought her a basket of exotic sumptuous fruits as a birthday gift, delighted that he was able to prevent the prophecy. Upon reaching into the basket, however, an asp that had been hiding among the fruit bit the young princess and she died in her father's arms, just as the oracle had predicted, hence the name Maiden's Tower. Printer: Banque de France (Bdf), France. Manat = derived from the Russian word for coins "manyeta" (spells as "moneta") which comes from Latin Moneta, "mint, money". Image not exact note listed. NEVER A RESERVE !! CURRENCY DEN I combine shipping - all lots after first mailed FREE!