The International Currency Association (ICA) and the International Mint Industry Association (IMIA) have announced that they are to merge their activities. This means that all IMIA members are joining the ICA, bringing the global currency industry closer together and creating a united voice for cash, banknotes and coins.

Currency Research, in collaboration with currency practitioners from African central banks, has launched a new international research initiative to examine global cash usage trends and the future role of physical currency in a rapidly evolving payments landscape.

The Central Bank of Turkmenistan has unveiled a new series of banknotes, designed and printed by De La Rue on SAFEGUARD® polymer, to coincide with 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s recognition as a permanently neutral state.

Following a Letter of Intent signed in July, Oberthur Cash Protection and Feerica have completed their strategic merger, forming Oberthur Feerica. This follows the acquisition of Feerica from its owner, the holding company Zelosodisseia, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Royal Australian Mint (RAM), which celebrated its 60th anniversary this year, sent over 131 million circulating coins with a face value of A$75.37 million into the Australian economy during FY 2024/25, nearly three times the 47.7 million coins issued the previous year.

Below are some of the central banks, printworks, and substrate makers that have either recently concluded major investments in expansion or new facilities, are in the process, or planning to do so.

The Regional Banknote of the Year Awards form part of the industry’s High Security Printing (HSP) Asia conference. This year’s awards were presented at a special ceremony during the conference dinner on 2 December.

As noted in the November issue of Currency News™, the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) is issuing a new family of Fijian dollar banknotes, which was officially launched at a special ceremony in Suva, the capital of the Pacific Island nation, on 2 December.

At the recent HSP Asia conference, Tajikistan’s new 100 somoni note celebrating the 25th anniversary of the national currency won the award for Best New Commemorative Banknote.

High Security Printing™ Asia (HSP Asia), held in Kuala Lumpur from 1-3 December 2025, delivered the strongest performance in the event’s history. The conference attracted 337 delegates from 145 organisations across 51 countries, including 34 governments and central banks.

The Future of Cash Conference 2025 took place from 3–5 November in Warsaw, an especially symbolic location given Poland’s rapid economic growth since joining the EU in 2004 and its central role in supporting Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion.

The first issue of 2025 explored opportunities for a digital transformation in currency management through the use of data and analytics.

The International Currency Association has (ICA) has shared preliminary details of the third edition of the Global Currency forum, which takes place 27-30 April in Antalya, Turkey.

When LEONHARD KURZ GmbH & Co KG (KURZ) opened its optical film facility in Sulzbach-Rosenberg, few could have predicted how profoundly it would shape the global security feature industry. To this day, the site remains one of the company’s strategic production centres — and an example of industrial renewal, where a region built on coal and steel turned to optics and precision engineering.

Giesecke+Devrient is continuing its business transformation strategy with the acquisition of critical German payment infrastructure in the form of the Payments & Banking Services business of Bank-Verlag. A subsidiary of the Association of German Banks, the business processes one in four card and internet-based payment transactions in Germany.

Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL) recently published its 2024/25 Annual Report, showing a 15.84% increase in revenue to Rs 58.84 billion. Costs increased by 19.9% to Rs 43.96 billion.

This heading paraphrases words attributed to Mark Twain when his obituary was published while he was still alive. They seem strangely apt right now when it comes to cash.

The Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) of Bhutan has unveiled the designs for the first three notes in its new banknote family – the 100, 500, and 1,000 ngultrum (Nu).

In a bold step to modernise its currency and reaffirm national identity, the Bank of Namibia (BoN) has launched an upgraded series of banknotes and a fully redesigned set of coins. Officially introduced by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in July 2025, the new currency began circulating at the end of September 2025, marking a historic milestone for the nation.

Since its founding in 1995, the Cash Cycle Seminar organised by Currency Research (CR) has brought together industry leaders to discuss the future of cash. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the 2025 seminar in Bali, Indonesia, adopted the theme ‘Cash Cycle 360: Redefining Resilience with Technology & Trust’, bringing together over 150 delegates from 64 organisations, including 20 central and commercial banks, and 24 CIT companies.