Latest News

3 March 2025

4 min read

Best in Design and Innovation at EMEA Awards

This year’s Regional Banknote the Year Awards for EMEA were presented at a special ceremony during the HSP conference dinner in the traditional Safran Zunft restaurant in the heart of Basel’s charming Old Town.

Banknotes Events

Astrid Mitchell

3 March 2025

3 min read

Euro Counterfeits on the Rise Again

554,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in 2024, according to the European Central Bank. This is an increase of more than 18% compared with 2023, and resulted in a ratio of 18 ppm, compared with 16 ppm the previous year.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

29 Jan. 2025

2 min read

Note and Coin News

The Bank of China and Banco Nacional Ultramarino – Macau’s two note issuing banks – have introduced new 50 and 100 pataca (MOP) banknotes. They are the third and fourth notes in the new Macau series, following the issue of new MOP 10 and 20 notes last year.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

23 Dec. 2024

3 min read

Updated Kenya 2024 Series – a Step Up in Security

The Central Bank of Kenya derives its mandate from Article 231 of Kenya’s Constitution and Section 22 of the CBK Act. Among these responsibilities, CBK must ensure and facilitate adequate and secure money supply in the economy. In fulfilling this mandate, the CBK took steps to guarantee the supply of banknotes by procuring an updated version from Giesecke+DevrientCurrency Technology.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

23 Dec. 2024

2 min read

Note and Coin News

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has announced the issue of the First Philippine Polymer (FPP) banknote series, over two years after the release of the 1,000 piso polymer as a trial in April 2022.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

23 Dec. 2024

4 min read

Kings, Dragons and Leopards All Feature in Asia’s Regional Banknote of the Year Awards

The Regional Banknote and ID Document of the Year Awards form part of the industry’s High Security Printing (HSP) Asia conference, the latest of which recently concluded in Bangkok, Thailand.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

27 Nov. 2024

2 min read

Note and Coin News

The Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) is introducing new polymer $2 and $5 banknotes on the theme of ‘Same Look, Smarter Design’.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

27 Nov. 2024

2 min read

Chameleon Shows His True Colours

As described in last month’s issue of Currency News™, at the recent Global Currency Forum (GCF) in Oman, industry players showcased house notes with new security features on themes ranging from butterflies, meadows and the ocean to Venus. To that can be added chameleons.

Banknotes

Aftab Baloch

27 Nov. 2024

3 min read

New Banknotes: A Game Changer for Pakistan’s Economy?

The introduction of a new series of banknotes in Pakistan next year, enhanced with advanced security features and modern designs, has the potential to play a transformative role in the country’s economic landscape.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

27 Nov. 2024

2 min read

New Work Sheds Light on German Influences on Finland’s Banknote History

Banknote expert and author Antti Heinonen has written a new book on the history of Finnish money, focusing on international and particularly German influences in the early development of Finnish means of payment.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

31 Oct. 2024

3 min read

Note and Coin News

The Central Bank of Lesotho is issuing new 10 and 20 maloti banknotes which have the same design as the current notes but which will be the first to feature Anima™ security threads from Oberthur Fiduciaire, via its partnership with (and subsequent acquisition of a majority stake in) Rolling Optics.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

30 Sept. 2024

2 min read

Oberthur Celebrates the Art of Butterflies

Oberthur Fiduciaire introduced a new family house notes at the Global Currency Forum, on the theme of ‘The Art of Butterflies’.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2024

2 min read

I’m Your Venus

According to the hit single I’m Your Venus (from the Dutch rock band Shocking Blue in 1969 and then again from the UK girl band Bananarama in 1986), ‘Venus is the name of the game’. It’s also the name of Louisenthal’s latest security feature – specifically RollingStar® Venus, an upgrade on the company’s portfolio of threads based on its micro-mirror technology.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2024

1 min read

Summertime for KURZ

Another company launching a new house note during the Global Currency Forum is KURZ. The note, dubbed Meadow, has been designed to promote the company’s ‘KURZ THREADS with KINEGRAM COLORS®’ portfolio.

Banknotes

Antti Heinonen

29 Sept. 2024

8 min read

Update on the Global Demand for Banknotes

Currency News™ began to publish global annual updates on banknote demand in 2017. This update will start with an analysis of the development of banknote circulation in value terms during recent years.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2024

2 min read

A Security Step-Up for Guyana

In last months’ Currency News™, we reference the Bank of Guyana’s upgrade of its $500 and $1,000 banknotes with Rolling Star® LEAD Pure security foil from Louisenthal on the former, and Crane’s RAPID® Vision security thread on the latter. In this article, we provide more details of the $500.

Banknotes

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