Latest News

Antti Heinonen

28 Sept. 2023

8 min read

Demand for Cash Under Uncertainty: A Global Update for 2023

So called ‘normal times’ ended in many respects more than three years ago, in early 2020. Since then, developments have been characterised by growing uncertainty and volatility, first by the COVID-19 pandemic and disruption of global supply chains, and then by geopolitical tensions created by the Russian attack on Ukraine and inflation of food and energy prices.

Cash Handling Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

28 Sept. 2023

1 min read

Out Now: Smartphones for Authentication

Reconnaissance International, co-publisher of Currency News™, is pleased to announce the release of its new report – ‘Smartphones for Authentication’ – the only publication of its kind.

Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

31 July 2023

4 min read

How to Do Demonetisation Well – the Kenyan Experience

Demonetisation has had something of a bad press in recent years, the disruption caused by the removal of the 500 and 1,000 rupees in India of 2016 and, more recently, Nigeria’s naira redesign being cases in point.

Central Banks Free Studies, Reports Free

Astrid Mitchell

23 April 2023

5 min read

Central Banks and Cash Round-Up

In the start of a new series in Currency News, we will be providing a summary of each month of central bank annual reports, and in particular developments regarding cash – be it circulation, management or counterfeiting.

Central Banks Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

1 March 2023

2 min read

Cash Industry Directory is Back

Back by popular demand, the latest edition of The Directory of Currency & Technology Suppliers is now being compiled. This sought-after directory is an essential resource for central banks and issuers, printers and mints, and everyone in the cash cycle to identify suppliers and partners.

Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

2 Dec. 2022

8 min read

What Goes Round Comes Round – Creating Value from Cotton Banknote Waste

To coincide with the Cash & Payments Sustainability Forum™ in mid-November, Reconnaissance issued a whitepaper – ‘What Goes Round Comes Round’.

Free Studies, Reports Sustainability Free

Paul Blond

30 Aug. 2022

5 min read

The Journey Towards a Less Cash Australia

Despite headline currency in circulation at near record levels, A$102.22 billion on issue at the end of July 2022 (that’s 27% higher than the July 2019 level), substantially less cash is being used in Australia.

Studies, Reports

Antti Heinonen

29 June 2022

8 min read

A Global Update on Cash Demand in Turbulent Times: Part I

Currency News™ has published annual updates on the banknote developments at the global level since September 2017. The hope that this year’s update would illustrate some kind of return to a new normal in cash demand has proved to be unrealistic.

Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

29 June 2022

3 min read

Steady Progress by the Bank of England

The Bank of England has issued its Annual Report for 2022. The key themes relating to banknote issuance and management were the completion of the polymer series of banknotes with the issuance of the £50 banknote, actions to safeguard access to cash and deposit services and the environmental impact of banknote operations.

Central Banks Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

1 April 2022

3 min read

Environmental Impact of New Swiss Banknote Series – Complexity Offsets Savings

The Swiss National Bank has conducted a Life Cycle Analysis on its 9th series of banknotes. The study looked only at those elements of the life cycle directly under the control of the SNB, the manufacture, wholesale distribution and disposal of notes.

Studies, Reports Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

1 April 2022

6 min read

The Future of Banknote Security – A Professor’s View

When handling cash, we normally glance at each banknote for less than a second. Central banks and banknote issuers are coming to realise that this brief glimpse provides a crucial opportunity for public authentication.

Banknotes Studies, Reports

Kerre Corbin

3 March 2022

5 min read

Why Perception Studies Need to Be Considered in a Wider Context

One the sessions at the Banknote & Currency Conference was ‘Perception Studies: Producing Actionable Information to Support Data-Driven Decision Making’, in the context of: what are the most effective features on a banknote? What do people use to authenticate them? What captures their attention and how do we know?

Comment Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

1 Feb. 2022

5 min read

RBNZ Seeks Feedback to Determine Cash System Redesign

As part of our series of articles around the world to assess the growing trend to digital payments and what these countries are doing to ensure ongoing access to cash in a less-cash world, this month it’s the turn of New Zealand.

Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

30 Dec. 2021

3 min read

Israel: Cash – The Point of No Return

Amir Safranovich, Head of Cash Management in the Currency Department at the Bank of Israel (BOI) introduced his presentation at the European Cash Cycle Seminar with the title ‘Cash: The Point of No Return’.

Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

23 Dec. 2021

2 min read

New Report Explores Printing Beyond Colour

Many technologies and features with their roots in commercial printing have made, and continue to make, a substantial contribution to secure document production. However, these technologies have for the most part been concerned with producing visual colours, perceived by the unaided eye as conventional colour printing.

Studies, Reports

John Winchcombe

23 Dec. 2021

3 min read

Bank of Canada Survival Analysis of Banknote Circulation

The Bank of Canada (BOC) has a Currency Inventory Management Strategy (IMS) based on its high-speed sorters that capture the image of every banknote, including the serial number, along with the date the banknote was created, shipped from the central bank’s distribution sites and returned to them.

Studies, Reports

John Winchcombe

23 Dec. 2021

4 min read

Japan’s Paradox of Banknotes

While cash transactions in Japan have been declining for some time, the reduction in opportunities to pay in cash and the increased use of ‘stay at home consumption’ during the pandemic has accelerated this decline. At the same time the ratio of banknotes to GDP has risen very significantly.

Studies, Reports

John Winchcombe

1 Dec. 2021

2 min read

DNB Study Lays Out the Future of Cash in the Netherlands

The Dutch National Bank (DNB) spoke at the recent European Cash Cycle seminar (ICCOS) about the McKinsey study commissioned to consider the cash infrastructure that the Netherlands will need for the next 10 years.

Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

1 Dec. 2021

10 min read

Future of Banknote Distribution in Australia

There is no longer any doubt that cash as a means of payment is declining – not just in relative but, increasingly, in absolute terms. The recent high demand for banknotes as a store of value only masks the reduction in their use for transactions.

Banknotes Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

1 Dec. 2021

3 min read

Central Bank of Nigeria Reports on Cash for 2020

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has made progress in 2020 with introducing and updating new systems to help with its cash management, according to its recently published annual report on cash operations.

Central Banks Studies, Reports