Latest News

Astrid Mitchell

30 April 2026

2 min read

IACA Announces Two Excellence in Currency Award Winners

The International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA) has announced the winners of two of the five award categories in their 2026 Excellence in Currency Awards. The winners were announced during the awards presentation at the recent Global Currency Forum in Antalya.

Events

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

10 min read

Currency in a Conflict Zone – How Sudan is Maintaining Production, Circulation and Confidence

It was three years ago this month that war broke out in Sudan. As has been previously, and frequently, reported in Currency News™, cash is the first and last resort in war-torn countries, as well as those affected by natural disasters. It is a matter of priority therefore, for the supply and distribution of currency to be maintained even in the most challenging of circumstances.

Interviews

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

5 min read

Recycling Makes Progress, Sustainability Has a Way to Go

Royal Dutch Kusters Engineering has published its 2025 Banknote Recycling Study. Kusters is one of the banknote industry’s leading manufacturers of high security off-line destruction and shred handling equipment for banknotes and coins; the paper explores how central banks are handling the disposal of unfit notes in particular, and also some of their general sustainability activities, based on an extensive market survey.

Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

2 min read

One Month to Go Until HSP Latin America 2026

There is just over a month remaining until the next iteration of the High Security Printing (HSP) conferences, with HSP Latin America scheduled to take place 1-3 June in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Events

Kerre Corbin

27 April 2026

2 min read

Counterfeit Corner

Halton Regional Police Service, located in the province of Ontario, say they have dismantled an online operation that was selling counterfeit cash across Canada, leading to several arrests and nearly two dozen criminal charges.

Counterfeiting

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

2 min read

ATMIA and ePay Resources Join Forces

ATMIA (the ATM Industry Association) has concluded a merger with ePayResources, a membership-based organisation for financial institutions and businesses focused on payments and a provider of payments education and compliance expertise in the US.

News

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

2 min read

BnEI Launches Enhanced Audit Standard

The Banknote Ethics Initiative (BnEI) has launched the BnEI 2.0 Audit Standard, which it terms a significant advancement in the organisation’s commitment to promoting ethical practices and compliance across the global banknote industry. All BnEI members will now be audited and accredited under the newly developed BnEI 2.0 framework.

News

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

3 min read

TwinColors? Patches: Two Layers of Micromirrors for More Sophisticated Security

As noted in last month’s Currency News, in the announcement of its record results for last year, Giesecke+Devrient reference TwinColors® as one of its latest currency innovations. So, what is it?

Substrates, Features

Dr John Mushayavanhu

27 April 2026

3 min read

The New BiG5ZiG Banknote Series

Following the introduction of the ZiG in April 2024 and public concerns on the quality of the then family of ZiG notes in circulation, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) undertook an evaluation to ensure that ZiG banknotes and coins remain relevant and supportive of economic activity.

Banknotes

James Shepherd-Barron

27 April 2026

6 min read

Money Talks: How Banknotes Can Enhance National Health Security

As part of his satirical take on wealth and power, Mark Twain reputedly coined the idiom, ‘Money Talks’. But, he asked, if it does, do we know what it’s saying?’ To which I would add, ‘… and in what language?’

Free Free

Alexandra Peppmeier

27 April 2026

2 min read

Sustainable Thinking and Energy-Saving Turbos

Climate action is embedded in G+D Louisenthal’s environmental strategy, with enhanced transparency in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from operations and upstream and downstream value chains.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

2 min read

CashTrax™: The AI-Powered Shield for Central Banks in the Digital Age

In an era where illicit trade has migrated from back alleys to encrypted chats and global marketplaces, safeguarding national currency requires more than just physical security features.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

2 min read

Security Feature and Coin Workshops

Two of the workshops at the forthcoming Banknote Conference (11-14 May) are open to all delegates. They are running concurrently, however, so delegates will have to choose between one or the other.

Events

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

2 min read

The Beauty of House Notes

‘House Notes: Art, Design and Security in One’, the third issue of a special report from Currency News™ summarising the latest house notes, is now available to download and read.

Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

2 min read

Spectra Systems Reports Record Revenue

Spectra Systems Corporation, a player in machine-readable high-speed banknote authentication, gaming security, and brand protection, has reported its highest profitability since inception in its recently announced annual results for 2025.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

2 min read

Travelling? Take Cash. And Return It

On its 50th anniversary, the foreign exchange company Travelex has published its first Travel Money Insights Report. The good news is the headline that 69% of travellers still choose cash.

News

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

3 min read

... In Other News

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has issued a new 10 rufiyaa banknote bearing the new symbol for the Maldivian rufiyaa.

News

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

6 min read

Central Bank Report Round-Up

This month, our periodic series of articles covering cash information in central bank annual reports focuses on three countries in Europe, with updates from Denmark, Portugal, and Spain.

Central Banks

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

5 min read

News in Brief

Counterfeit banknote levels fell to a historic low of 0.64ppm in Albania last year, when only 107 counterfeits were seized in circulation. The largest share of counterfeit banknotes is made up of the 5,000 lekë denomination, followed by the 2,000 lekë and 1,000 lekë denominations.

News

Astrid Mitchell

27 April 2026

5 min read

The Future of Central Banks in the Cash Cycle

In the March issue of Currency News™, we reported on the webinar hosted by the International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA) the previous month on ‘The Future of Commercial Bank Cash Operations’, which is part of a series on the resilience of the cash cycle.

Central Banks