A once-in-a-lifetime event commemorating the 60th anniversary of Ghana’s national currency is just weeks away. To be held from 17–20 November and hosted by the Bank of Ghana (BOG) in partnership with Currency Research, the Cedi@60 Anniversary Currency Conference is a cornerstone of a national months-long celebration — ‘Cedi@60: A Symbol of Sovereignty, Stability, and Economic Resilience’ — which formally launched on 28 October.

As digital payments grow and cash usage at the point of sale declines, the individual cash cycle stakeholders are all facing certain challenges brought about by these changes that could risk their ability to continue to function – UNLESS we can understand their challenges, identify the risks, mitigate the risks and make changes not only to adapt to this new environment – but make changes to avoid future events and failures.

Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB) has provided more details of its new banknote series in denominations of BND1, BND5, BND10, BND100 and BND500, which are scheduled to enter circulation in the first half of 2026.

Traditionally, banknotes have served as children’s first tangible interaction with money, helping them develop essential numeracy and financial skills. Recent research underscores that physical cash provides a more concrete understanding of money for young people compared to digital payments, making it a powerful medium for teaching core concepts like earning, spending, saving, borrowing, and budgeting.

In her Chief Executive’s Report for 2024-25, the Royal Mint’s Anne Jessopp reported an after-tax loss of £36.3 million, compared with a loss of £4.3 million in 2023-24, on sales of £1.3 billion (2023- 24 – £1.4 billion). In something of an understatement, she noted it had been a challenging year and the result disappointing.

Dr Eyob Tekalign Tolina, State Minister at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance, has been named the new Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia. He replaces Mamo Mihretu.

The focus for this month’s summary of news from central bank annual reports and other sources is Central and South America, specifically Belize, Brazil and Honduras.

The Banque de France (BdF), in partnership with the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), organised an international seminar on 23–26 September 2025 in Paris dedicated to fighting currency counterfeiting.

Households should keep some cash at home so they can pay for essentials during crises, according to an analysis of four major disruptive events in Europe, including the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

At Giesecke+Devrient’s July Currency Technology Symposium it ran nine different workshops and a half day at Papierfabrik Louisenthal (see CN July 2025). Three are covered here.

The US Federal Reserve has published the print order to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) for calendar year (CY) 2026, which is in the range of 3.8-5.1 billion notes, valued at $108.9-$139.6 billion. During the year, the Feder Reserve Board and BEP staff may adjust production of each denomination to best match demand throughout the year.

At the end of July, KURZ Banknote Security celebrated 30 years of security production at the Sulzbach-Rosenberg site in Germany with a two day customer event.

The International Optical Technologies Association (IOTA) revealed the winners of its inaugural Excellence in Optical Technologies Awards – 2025 during a special ceremony held on 16 September at the Optical & Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) conference in Warsaw.

Reportedly, China’s overarching goal for ecological civilization and green development is to build itself into a ‘Beautiful China’. Against this backdrop, a green transformation is quietly taking place at Nanchang Banknote Printing Co Ltd (NBPC). A subsidiary of China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation (CBPM), it is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is progressively shifting from a traditionally polluting banknote printing facility into a ‘national-level green factory’.

The speaker lineups for two upcoming currency events — the Americas Cash Cycle Seminar and the Cedi@60 Anniversary Currency Conference — are taking shape. Currency Research’s (CR) annual Americas Cash Cyle Seminar will be in Miami, Florida, 3-6 November, while the Cedi@60 Anniversary Currency Conference, hosted by the Bank of Ghana (BOG) in partnership with CR, will be in Accra, Ghana, 17–20 November.

The 2025 edition of the Optical & Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) Conference opened in Warsaw, Poland, from 15–17 September with the headline ‘Welcome to the Genius of Secure Documents’.

Set against the backdrop of the Thermal Spa Island in the heart of Budapest, Jura’s third industry gathering brought together innovators, designers, and technologists from across the globe for two days of knowledge-sharing, collaboration and celebration.

The International Day of Charity, which occurs annually on 5 September, recognises the role of charity in helping others.

The International Currency Association (ICA) has announced the next Global Currency Forum (GCF), taking place 27–30 April 2026 at the Rixos Sungate resort in Antalya, Türkiye.

In the August issue of Currency News we celebrated a number of houses notes – from Bundesdruckerei, PWPW, China Banknote Printing and Minting, and Casa da Moeda do Brasil – showcasing some of the best design and technology in today’s banknote features and print.