First level features for public authentication have grown remarkably over the years. The key objective is to stop counterfeits at the first pass. A solid combination of printed and substrate embedded features is available, and continues to grow.

The first Security Designers Forum (SDF) will take place 9-11 September 2024 in Warsaw, Poland as a dedicated setting for all those involved in design and design decision-making relating to secure documents such as banknotes and passports, to learn, exchange knowledge and develop new ideas.

Each February and March we cover the previous year’s results for the leading companies in cash management, most of whose financial years run from January to December. Between them these results provide a useful means of taking the pulse of our industry.

The Bundesbank (BBk) has established a National Cash Forum to allow cash cycle stakeholders to exchange information on cash issues. The BBk wants the Forum to increase cooperation and pool interests for stakeholders in order to prepare initiatives to improve and stabilise the cash cycle. In itself, the creation of the Forum signals that the BBk and stakeholders support cash.

Biobanknote has spent 12 years focusing on the protection of the environment, building expert knowledge about composting banknotes, and offers professional advisory services to central banks and producers helping them set banknote specification parameters, measurement methodologies, controls and evaluations so that the new banknotes can be more sustainable throughout the cash cycle.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will be circulating an additional 1 billion P1,000 polymer banknotes in 2024, double the amount previously ordered in 2021 for the circulation trial of the polymer versus the paper version.

Last November, the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) issued a commemorative 10,000 tenge banknote to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the national currency, followed in December by the issue of the first banknote in a new note series, the 5,000 tenge.

What is the primary reason that most countries issue a new banknote to replace an older design? To help prevent COUNTERFETING!

Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions (K&B BNS) has pre- launched its new production platform called ‘AKTINA’.

The second Cash Sustainability Forum (CSF) takes place in Frankfurt, Germany from 24-26 June. On the first afternoon will be a workshop dedicated to the recycling and recirculation of cash. It will build on a white paper currently being researched and prepared and for which input is still very welcome.

Three webinars will be held over the coming weeks of interest to the banknote and coin communities, each with a very different focus

Cash automation solutions provider Glory Global Solutions has announced plans to acquire 100% of the issued share capital of UK-based Flooid, provider of cloud-based unified commerce software to the retail industry, from Inflexion Private Equity Partners.

2024 has kicked off with a focus on cash, particularly a series of initiatives by central banks to safeguard access to cash.

Jasmina Selimović has been appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CBBH). She replaces Senad Softić and is the first women to hold the position.

As has been customary at the start of the year in the past, we have invited stakeholders and other participants in the cash community to give their views on key trends and likely developments for the coming year.

COP 28 in December last year provided evidence that the climate is changing, and we are struggling to do what is needed to mitigate or adapt to the change. Given this is the only planet we have, and we are all on this place together, sustainability is relevant to us as individuals and to our work.

The next HSP EMEA 2023 event will be held in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, on 4-6 March 2024 and the organisers are expecting a sell-out event, with key decision makers from central banks, suppliers and printers coming together to discuss and learn about a range of topics from cash usage and trends in the region, sustainability and resilience in print to physical and digital technologies, security features and design.

The programme for the third Optical and Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) conference – which takes place from 8-10 April 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal – is now available.

Currency News™ reported in November 2023 on the Guangzhou Banknote Printing Company and its ‘intelligent’ factory. Now China Banknote Ink Co is following on with an Integrated Operation Centre.

The People’s Bank of China (PBC) has issued a 20 yuan commemorative legal tender banknote to celebrate 2024’s Lunar Year of the Long (Chinese Dragon), which begins on 10 February.