This short phrase is a truism. Another is ‘you get what you pay for’. When security fibres are used in banknotes, it is fair to say both truisms apply. Security fibres may be very small, but the level of security they provide certainly gives value for money.

In an age where consumers, companies and central banks are seeking to reduce raw materials use and close the loop on waste, banknote recycling has never been more important.

In this periodic series summarising counterfeit currency around the world, we focus on the latest news from Hong Kong, Libya, Scotland and Ukraine.

The high-level programme and award categories for the next edition of The Coin Conference have been announced, with the event scheduled to take place 28-30 October in Lisbon, Portugal.

The many security features integrated into a banknote make them virtually impossible to counterfeit. These features instil confidence in the currency and enable various users to authenticate genuine banknotes throughout the entire cash cycle.

The next edition of the Directory of Circulating Coins is currently being compiled, and is scheduled for publication this Autumn. First developed by the publishers of Currency News in 2014, the upcoming issue will be the fourth edition.

Counterfeit deterrence requires a three-pronged approach. Banknote design security, public education and law enforcement.

The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) introduced the newly designed 10,000 tenge banknotes into circulation at the end of June. This release marks the second instalment in the ‘Saka Style’ series, which draws inspiration from elements of the ancient Saka culture, a key precursor to traditional Kazakh ornamentation. The series aims to evoke national pride, deepen cultural awareness, and promote environmental stewardship among Kazakhstan’s citizens.

The Bank of Mongolia has issued a limited edition 5,000 tugrik commemorative banknote to mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the central bank and the strengthening of the modern banking system in Mongolia. The banknotes are in the same design as the circulating 5000 tugrik but include a number of new security features.

Some were in Frankfurt for the European football in the final week of June, but not all. The second Cash Sustainability Forum saw two and a half days of discussion, presentations and debate focused on reducing the environmental impact of cash and the cash cycle.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has announced that it plans to transition its cash operations in East Rutherford, New Jersey to a new next-generation cash services centre within the Second District.

Last month, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the introduction of polymer banknotes in New Zealand. But all is not well with cash ‘down under’, with usage in rapid decline and the cash infrastructure in decline as well – both in response to falling demand and also a driver for it.

Today, located in City of London, the Bank of England, with a history of more than 300 years, is a pioneer of modern finance. It is also one of the world’s oldest central banks.

Commemorative coins are a common way for countries to mark their participation in international sporting events, particularly if they are hosting those events. Less so for commemorative banknotes, but they are becoming more popular.

In this periodic series of articles covering cash information in central bank annual reports, we turn out attention this month to Canada, the ECCB, India, Ireland, and Spain.

A bulletin published by the Banque de France describes its work on environmental sustainability. The paper offers up a model for others to consider, detailing the Bank's work on areas it controls directly and its collaborative work with others in the cash cycle.

In May’s issue of Currency News™, we featured Bundesdruckerei’s new Ignis house note as the Banknote of the Month. Here, we continue the theme with the presentation of four new house notes – one from Casa de Moneda de Chile and three from Polish Security Printing Works.

In June’s issue of Currency News™, we covered the rebirth of CPS and its new strategy. As part of this strategy, CPS has worked with its sister-company Enterprise Cash Management to develop ECM™ – Centralised Control.

Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions (KBBNS) has run its ‘Equinox’ customer event in parallel with the DRUPA print conference and through into June. It has used the event to showcase what it does, to launch a number of new developments, particularly its AKTINA™ product, and to make the case for thinking about banknotes, and banknote printing differently.

At the Optical & Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) conference in in Lisbon this April, Michael Natan, President of Diametryx Inc, presented his new company’s intriguing colour-change particles in which the effects change not only by tilting, but shaking as well.