Latest News

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2024

3 min read

Guatemala Celebrates 100 Years of Quetzal

The Guatemalan currency, the quetzal, was introduced in 1924. The Q1 commemorative banknote, released in September 2024, is only the second commemorative banknote in the history of Banco de Guatemala (Banguat), and commemorates the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the quetzal as the national monetary unit.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

29 Aug. 2024

2 min read

Grand Reveal for New Caribbean Guilder

In what was termed a ‘grand reveal’, the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten hosted simultaneous events on both islands to unveil the designs of the banknotes and coins of its new currency, the Caribbean guilder.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

29 Aug. 2024

7 min read

Note and Coin News

Bank Al-Maghrib has issued new 50 dirham banknote, the third in its new series.

Banknotes Coins

Eriko Yaya

29 Aug. 2024

2 min read

A New Series of Bank of Japan Notes

On 3 July 2024, the Bank of Japan started issuing a new series of banknotes consisting of 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, and 1,000 yen notes: a historic moment in Japan, as this is the first time in 20 years that a new series of banknotes has been introduced.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

1 Aug. 2024

3 min read

G+D Collection Celebrates 2024 Sporting Events

Commemorative coins are a common way for countries to mark their participation in international sporting events, particularly if they are hosting those events. Less so for commemorative banknotes, but they are becoming more popular.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

1 Aug. 2024

5 min read

Note and Coin News

The Bank of Mongolia has issued a limited edition 5,000 tugrik commemorative banknote to mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the central bank and the strengthening of the modern banking system in Mongolia. The banknotes are in the same design as the circulating 5000 tugrik but include a number of new security features.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

1 Aug. 2024

4 min read

The Birth of Paper Money: the 1,000th Anniversary of the Jiaozi

Today, located in City of London, the Bank of England, with a history of more than 300 years, is a pioneer of modern finance. It is also one of the world’s oldest central banks.

Banknotes

David Tidmarsh

1 Aug. 2024

4 min read

It’s The Little Things That Count!

This short phrase is a truism. Another is ‘you get what you pay for’. When security fibres are used in banknotes, it is fair to say both truisms apply. Security fibres may be very small, but the level of security they provide certainly gives value for money.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

1 Aug. 2024

3 min read

Kazkahstan’s 10,000 Tenge Banknote Continues Saka Style Theme

The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) introduced the newly designed 10,000 tenge banknotes into circulation at the end of June. This release marks the second instalment in the ‘Saka Style’ series, which draws inspiration from elements of the ancient Saka culture, a key precursor to traditional Kazakh ornamentation. The series aims to evoke national pride, deepen cultural awareness, and promote environmental stewardship among Kazakhstan’s citizens.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

3 July 2024

3 min read

More House Notes Demonstrate Innovation and Artistry

In May’s issue of Currency News™, we featured Bundesdruckerei’s new Ignis house note as the Banknote of the Month. Here, we continue the theme with the presentation of four new house notes – one from Casa de Moneda de Chile and three from Polish Security Printing Works.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

3 July 2024

1 min read

Note and Coin News

According to the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS), a significant milestone concerning the new Caribbean guilder has been reached, namely the printing of the first new banknotes.

Banknotes Coins

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.

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