Latest News

Antti Heinonen

3 July 2024

12 min read

Reasons to Introduce a New Series or Upgrade

The frequency of the introduction of a new series or an upgrade was addressed in the April issue of Currency News. In this article, Antti Heinonen continues the debate by addressing the topic from a historical perspective.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

3 July 2024

2 min read

Getting to Grips with Micro-Organisms

At the Banknote Conference in May, Guilmar Ernesto Moncayo Ponce from the Bank of Mexico provided information about progress on the first of a three phase project looking at the presence and role of micro-organisms on banknotes.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

3 July 2024

4 min read

Outstanding Design and Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean

The prestigious Regional Banknote and ID Document of the Year Awards form part of the industry’s High Security Printing (HSP) Latin America conference. This year’s event was held in Santiago, Chile, with the awards presented at a special ceremony, during the conference dinner on 4 June.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

3 July 2024

2 min read

Q&T Secures Further Contract for Vietnamese Currency

Q&T Hi-Tech Polymer (Q&T), the latest arrival to the polymer substrate market, has announced that it has made remarkable progress since its establishment three years ago by securing its third contract for supply of Polysecure for the Vietnamese currency.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

3 July 2024

4 min read

New Zealand Marks 25 Years of Polymer Banknotes

New Zealand adopted polymer banknotes in 1999. At the time, Brian Lang was Head of Currency at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ). To mark the 25th anniversary of polymerisation, we sat down with Brian to discuss the rationale behind the transition and assess its results.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

29 May 2024

2 min read

Note and Coin News

The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic (NBKR) has issued the new 5,000 som banknote, the seventh and last banknote of the fifth series, completing the modernisation that started in May 2023. The new series includes denominations ranging from 20 to 5,000 som – all featuring RAPID HD® Detect from Crane Currency.

Banknotes Coins

Antti Heinonen

30 April 2024

11 min read

From Secrecy to Transparency – The Evolution of Banknote Communications

Antti Heinonen looks at the evolution of central bank engagement with the public on banknotes, considering what lessons can be learned and including his own personal perspective.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

30 April 2024

5 min read

Fed Deep Dives into Data to Report on Demand for US Banknotes Post-COVID

Last month, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System published an International Finance Discussion Paper on the demand for US banknotes at home and abroad. It was authored by Ruth Judson, a staff economist.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

30 April 2024

4 min read

New Banknote Series – Challenging the Convention

Industry custom and practice dictates that a new series of banknotes should be issued every 7-10 years. We don’t know who established that nor how was it determined. As we couldn’t answer these questions, we set out to see whether this convention was being followed by the industry. And to determine if it is still appropriate.

Banknotes Free Free

Astrid Mitchell

30 April 2024

5 min read

Aligning Euro Banknote Policies with Paris Agreement Targets

The European Central Bank (ECB) has been working to reduce the environmental impact of euro banknotes and the Eurosystem cash cycle since the introduction of the euro in 2002. Although it has made progress, it has further goals to reduce the environmental footprint of current and future euro banknotes.

Banknotes Sustainability

Dr Ahmed Goher

30 April 2024

5 min read

Polymer Banknotes Outperform Paper on Strength and Security

As an anti-forgery expert with the Egyptian Ministry of Justice, I have spent decades investigating the strength and security of various banknote substrates. My work has involved analysis of the technical specifications of banknotes, through extensive mechanical and chemical testing, as well as an assessment of data published by central banks. I’d like to share my findings here.

Banknotes Technology

Astrid Mitchell

30 April 2024

3 min read

Note and Coin News

The National Bank of Poland (NBP) will issue a commemorative 20 zloty banknote in July to mark the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw uprising, a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate the city from German occupation.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

30 April 2024

3 min read

A New Force in Vietnam for Polymer Production

In recent years Vietnam has been a go-to country for many of the world players in the technology, automotive, and fashion industries. It is now stepping into a new field – polymer banknote substrates and security features.

Banknotes Companies Technology

Astrid Mitchell

30 April 2024

2 min read

Another New Currency for Zimbabwe

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has unveiled a new family of coins and banknotes denominated in Zimbabwe gold (expressed as ZiG), which replaces the preceding dollar notes at a rate of 1:2,498.7242.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

30 April 2024

4 min read

Commemorative Banknote Celebrates Year of the Dragon

2024 heralds the Year of the Loong (or Chinese Dragon) in the traditional Chinese zodiac calendar. In December 2023, the People’s Bank of China issued a commemorative 20 yuan banknote for the 2024 Chinese Zodiac New Year, crafted from polymer substrate and manufactured by the Beijing Banknote Printing Co, a subsidiary of China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

2 April 2024

4 min read

Suriname Goes Green for New High Denominations

The Central Bank of Suriname has introduced two new high denomination banknotes; the 200 and 500 Suriname dollars, showcasing advanced security and sustainable substrates.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

2 April 2024

4 min read

Best in Design and Innovation in EMEA Recognised at 2024 Awards

The Regional Banknote and ID Document of the Year Awards form part of the industry’s High Security Printing (HSP) EMEA conference. This year’s awards were presented at a special ceremony during the conference dinner in Sofia on 5 March.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

2 April 2024

2 min read

Note and Coin News

Banco Central República Argentina has confirmed that new 10,000 and 20,000 peso (ARS) notes will enter into circulation in June.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

29 Feb. 2024

5 min read

Note and Coin News

The National Bank of Ukraine has issued a new commemorative 50 hryvnia banknote entitled ‘Unity saves the world’ on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion.

Banknotes Coins

Sabine Eberl

29 Feb. 2024

2 min read

Registered Threads – Predictable Placement Dynamics

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.

Banknotes