Latest News

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

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

6 min read

Design and Innovation in Latin America

HSP Latin America was last held in Guatemala City in 2017, and its return – 10 years on – did not disappoint. In fact, many of the delegates commented that it was the best conference yet of all the 13 HSP Latin America conferences to date – and, given that the preceding year it was held in Rio de Janeiro which set an exceptionally high bar, this was no mean feat!

Events

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

6 min read

Resilience at the Heart of Banknote 2026

The Banknote Conference, held in Washington DC in May, involved 432 delegates from 164 organisations across 68 countries, including representatives from 88 central banks and printworks. Organised by Currency Research and bringing together central bankers, banknote designers, security experts, printers, substrate manufacturers and cash cycle specialists, the event provided a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities facing the global cash community.

Events

Astrid Mitchell

1 July 2026

5 min read

Note and Coin News

The Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) has launched a Golden Jubilee commemorative $50 banknote celebrating its 50th anniversary. The new banknote was designed by De La Rue and printed on SAFEGUARD® polymer.

Banknotes Coins

Antti Heinonen

29 June 2026

9 min read

Development of Banknotes in Circulation Since 1998, and By Regions

Currency News™ has published annual updates on the global demand for banknotes since 2017, but these updates have focused mainly on most recent trends. By contrast, this article will address the development of global note demand during a period covering close to three decades. The regular annual update will be published later this year, when the volume figures for 2025 are available.

Banknotes