Latest News

Astrid Mitchell

1 Aug. 2026

2 min read

São Tomé and Príncipe Celebrates with Remarkable New Note

The Central Bank of São Tomé and Príncipe has issued a commemorative 50 dobra banknote marking 50 years of independence, printed on Q&T High-Tec's PolySecure polymer substrate by Royal Joh Enschedé — notable as the first issuance of that substrate outside Vietnam.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

1 Aug. 2026

4 min read

News in Brief

The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has officially denied reports that it is issuing new banknotes with three zeros deleted, saying in a statement that allegations of producing new currency denominations are unfounded and have no official source.

News

Astrid Mitchell

30 July 2026

2 min read

Sustainability Innovation Delivers for Crane

Crane Currency has implemented a pioneering project that captures water directly from the air, turning a byproduct of the air conditioning system into a valuable resource for banknote printing.

Companies Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

26 July 2026

2 min read

Liberia to Revert to Banknotes for Lowest Denominations

According to local reports, the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has dropped plans to mint new L$5 and L$10 (Liberian dollar) coins under its L$79 billion programme to replace and increase its currency stocks. Following widespread public complaints, both denominations are expected to return as paper notes.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

26 July 2026

2 min read

Mongolia Goes Green

The Central Bank of Mongolia (BOM) has chosen a sustainability path for its banknotes by issuing three of its denominations on Louisenthal’s Green LongLife™ substrate.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

20 July 2026

3 min read

Polymer Moves Step Closer in India

After years of discussion and speculation, practical steps are now being taken to trial polymer for Indian banknotes. Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India, has issued a global expression of interest for the manufacture and supply of opacified polymer substrate sheets with advanced security features.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

16 July 2026

1 min read

De La Rue Wins Contract to Print Denmark’s New Series

Danmarks Nationalbank has announced that it has entered into an agreement with De La Rue for the production of the upcoming new Danish banknote series. The agreement runs for a minimum of six years, with the possibility of extension, and the new Danish banknotes will be produced at De La Rue's production facility outside London.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

3 July 2026

5 min read

News in Brief

The Bank of Korea (BOK) is grappling with a surplus of coins piling up in its vaults, a consequence of the country’s move towards cashless payments.

News

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

3 min read

Our Enduring Emotional Attachment to Cash

Four separate cash-related stories from four separate countries in the last month. One theme in common, however, which is the enduring personal attachment to banknotes – dare one say the emotional support – that currency involves. In other words, what unites them is the fact that emotion still prevails when it comes to a nation’s calling card, even in those countries which are supposedly doing away with cash, as is claimed to be the case in Denmark and the UK.

Comment Free Free

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

2 min read

IOTA Launches Start-Up Membership Programme

The International Optical Technologies Association (IOTA) has introduced a new Start-Up Membership Programme to encourage innovation and strengthen collaboration across the optical security and authentication sector.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

12 min read

Celebrating 50 Years of Intergraf Currency+Identity

Few people who are still around in the industry will be able to recall the first Currency+Identity conference (referred to then, and frequently now as well, as just ‘Intergraf’), back in 1976. But since those early days with around 80 participants, it has grown to become one of the ‘must-attends’ of the currency and identity industries, with around 1,000 people typically taking part each 18 months.

Kerre Corbin

1 July 2026

2 min read

Counterfeit Corner

Italy’s Carabinieri have dismantled a major transnational criminal network that used Telegram and Bitcoin to distribute counterfeit euros across Europe. The crackdown, code-named ‘Operation Domino’, culminated in the Carabinieri Anti-Counterfeiting Command Cryptocurrency Section executing court orders against 12 suspects.

Counterfeiting

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

4 min read

News in Brief

De La Rue, in collaboration with Onoto, has launched ‘The SAFEGUARD® Pen’ – a limited-edition writing instrument that, it says, represents more than a century of shared heritage, craftsmanship and innovation.

News

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

2 min read

Kenyan Printworks Bought by Local Firm

The Competition Authority of Kenya has officially authorised Monarch Capital – a leading investment firm in the country – to acquire 100% of the shares of De La Rue Currency and Security Print (K) Ltd – De La Rue’s former Kenyan banknote and security printworks. This was the last remaining stake left behind after De La Rue’s 2023 banknote printing exit and marks a move towards full ‘kenyanisation’ of banknote production.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

3 min read

Durasafe® Eco – Better for the Environment

Durasafe®, from Swiss substrate producer Landqart, is a composite material that consists of two outer layers of security paper, fused together with a central core of transparent polymer. The strength of the polymer core combines with the benefits of well-known paper security features to offer a product that is ‘the best of both worlds’.

Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

3 min read

Elevating Security Documents: Next-Generation Micro Perforation

In an era where counterfeiters use highly sophisticated technology, security printing must constantly evolve. So said Thorsten Tritschler, Managing Director of Zeiser, a German pioneer in security technology founded in 1956 that stands at the forefront of this battle, in his presentation at the recent HSP Latin America conference in Guatemala.

Technology

■ Yana Kisselova-Weckerle

1 July 2026

4 min read

WYSIWYG – Qualifying Banknote Security Dynamics

Banknote security shouldn’t be boring – it must engage people. Let’s start with a simple concept WYSIWYG…. What You See Is What You Get…; at first glance and in its simplest form, a banknote could be perceived as just a piece of printed paper. But in reality, it’s a carefully engineered document designed to communicate authenticity in a fraction of a second.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

3 min read

DataVault Unlocked: The Evolution of Banknotes in the Americas

Cash is changing faster than you think. At the recent HSP Latin Americas Conference in Guatemala (see page 15), Astrid Mitchell , Editor of Currency News™, shared the latest data on design trends occurring in the Americas.

Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

1 min read

Tenders, Contracts and MOUs

The National Bank of Georgia is planning to construct a new cash centre in the city of Kutaisi.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

6 min read

Central Banks and Cash Round-Up

This month, our periodic series of articles covering cash information in central bank annual reports focuses on Asia, specifically Azerbaijan, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Central Banks