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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

The problems with plastic are widely known – but not well understood. The truth is, sometimes plastic is necessary. And when it comes to banknotes, polymer substrate is the green choice.

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

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.

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.

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.

This month’s coverage of cash information in central bank annual reports contains news from the central banks of Rwanda and Uganda.

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.

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.

467,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in 2023, according to the European Central Bank, which is one of the lowest levels ever since the introduction of the euro in 2002 in proportion to total banknotes in circulation.

Under the new leadership of Vijay Ranjan Singh, who was appointed its Managing Director last year, SPMCIL recently released its 2022/23 Annual Report, registering a growth of 20.35% in revenue to Rs 49.18 billion.

The Banknote Conference is the industry’s premier technology-focused event with a long and rich history of hosting the world’s technology experts from central banks, printing works, and industry suppliers and providing an unparalleled opportunity to discuss emerging trends, technologies, and innovation.

Cash & Payment News™ (CPN) is the sister publication to Currency News™. It was first published in July 2018 as the successor to Payment News Quarterly and, while Currency News focuses on the product that is ‘cash’, CPN has concentrated on the use of cash once issued.

Currency News™ has officially ‘come of age’! That is, if reaching its 21st birthday counts as the coming of age – which in many societies it does.