The Coin Conference takes place in Lisbon 28-30 October, against a backdrop of considerable change (no pun intended) in the world of circulating coins. Not surprisingly, the agenda is busy and full of substance, reflecting the key challenges, and opportunities, that face issuers and producers.

The Mint of Finland (Suomen Rahapaja) is to cease operations and wind down in an orderly manner by next year, its Managing Director Jonne Hankimaa, has announced, bringing to an end a 160-year business which first began minting coins in 1864 under the Russian emperor Alexander III.

In what was termed a ‘grand reveal’, the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten hosted simultaneous events on both islands to unveil the designs of the banknotes and coins of its new currency, the Caribbean guilder.

Currency Research has launched the AI Bootcamp, facilitated by The Centre for Alternative Finance at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, which will explore AI tools and strategies for revolutionising supervisory innovation, with practical insights and a tailored roadmap for AI adoption.

Intaglio is a quintessential feature for high-security designs. Its unique look and tactility make it easy to authenticate banknotes and identity documents within seconds. The Escher® method, developed by Orell Füssli, uses three-dimensional (3D) models for intaglio designs.

Researchers at Griffith University of Australia have investigated the representation of native fauna on banknotes to identify geographic hotspots and taxonomic patterns, and determine whether threatened and endemic species were more readily represented.

This month we report on the interim results for two leaders in the currency sector – Orell Füssli Security Printing and Prosegur Cash.

When systems go down, they can go down big-time. As happened recently with the CrowdStrike software update glitch that caused a multitude of Microsoft systems around the world to crash, hitting hospitals and healthcare, transport, hospitality, retailers and payments. Cash, once again, was the fallback option.

Texas-based security solutions provider Authentix has announced the completion of an asset purchase agreement for Nanotech Security Corporation (NCS), the security subsidiary of Meta Materials, which offers solutions for banknote authentication and brand protection. The purchase price for the assets is understood to be in the region of $10 million.

The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has begun an investigation into the phasing out of hundreds of bank cash machines and their replacement by a new consolidated network of ‘neutral’ Bancontact- branded ATMs. The investigation focuses on accessibility to the ATMs, and therefore to cash, as well as on the quality of service, notably in terms of waiting time.

De La Rue has released a comprehensive set of full year results for FY2023/24. These results were in line with market expectations and its previous trading update.

The Royal Mint has announced its results for 2023-24, which are in sharp contrast to the success of the previous year.

In recent weeks, Da Afghanistan Bank (the country’s central bank) has incinerated c. 2 billion worn-out Afghani banknotes. In 2023, it collected and incinerated approximately 5.2 billion banknotes.

The 2024 Global Currency Forum (GCF) – which takes place in Muscat, Oman from 30 September-3 October – is set to host a series of panel discussions that promise to delve deep into the evolving landscape of global cash and currency. This year’s forum features an impressive lineup of experts who will share their insights on various topics, from the role of banknote design in national identity to the sustainability of cash.

Spectra Systems’ annual report, released at the end of June, showed revenues for 2023 increased by 3.4% to $20.28 million and operating profit, EDITDA (before stock compensation expenses) by 3.9% to $8.39 million.

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.