Latest News

Astrid Mitchell

28 Oct. 2021

1 min read

Nepal Continues Roll-Out of New Banknote Series

Nepal Rastra Bank began issuing a new series in 2020, starting with 1,000, 100 and 50 rupees. This year, despite the COVID restrictions, it has continued the programme with the issue of new 20, 10 and 5 rupee notes. The new 500 rupees is expected to follow in 2022.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

28 Oct. 2021

4 min read

Hot Air, Hard Data

COP 26 is taking place next week in the UK. The leaders of the world will be in attendance (most of them at least – the Russian and Chinese presidents aren’t turning up) along with around 30,000 others – from negotiators and journalists to lobbyists, NGOs, businesses and even protesters – from 200 or so countries.

Comment Free Sustainability Free

Astrid Mitchell

28 Oct. 2021

2 min read

Royal Mint to Recycle Precious Metals from Electronics Waste

Experts believe that as much as 7% of the world’s gold may be contained within the circuit boards of e-waste, most of which ends up in landfill or is incinerated.

Coins Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

28 Oct. 2021

2 min read

Smiley’s People – RDM Issues 1st Not for Profit Coin for Charity

The Royal Dutch Mint (RDM) is the latest mint to create a not-for-profit coin for charitable purposes, designing an exclusive coin in collaboration with the Smiley Movement. For every coin sold, it will donate a food box to the Foodbank Amsterdam at Christmas.

Coins

Astrid Mitchell

28 Oct. 2021

3 min read

People in The News

Øystein Olsen, Governor of Norges Bank, has announced he will retire next February, a year before his second term is due to end. The Central Bank of Chile has appointed Beltrán de Ramón to the role of General Manager, responsible for the day-to-day operations. He replaces Alejandro Zurbuchen Silva, who has retired.

News

Astrid Mitchell

28 Oct. 2021

2 min read

WBS Announces Agenda

The World Banknote Summit (WBS) has announced the programme which, due to COVID, will be held online on 22-24 November. According to the organisers, the focus of WBS is not on touching all bases or providing a general overview, but about getting to the heart of the issues that are of paramount importance to the payments industry.

Events

Astrid Mitchell

28 Oct. 2021

1 min read

Virtual EMEA Cash Cycle Seminar (ICCOS)

With COVID still disrupting travel plans, the 11th EMEA Cash Cycle Seminar (ICCOS) is being held virtually on 2-3 November. Over 200 attendees representing central banks, commercial banks, CIT and suppliers from more than 40 countries have registered for the two half days of thought leading presentations in an agenda dominated by cash users.

Events

John Winchcombe

28 Oct. 2021

5 min read

‘Cash: a Roadmap to Sustainability’

With the UN Climate Change conference, COP 26, taking place through early November, we thought it would be appropriate to review the environmental work of stakeholders in the cash industry over the last few years.

Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

28 Oct. 2021

2 min read

Optical & Digital Document Security Conference Programme

Registration is now open for the new Optical & Digital Document Security™ (ODDS) conference, which will be in Vienna, Austria, 17-19 January 2022, with the programme available to view online at opticaldigitalsecurity.com.

Events

Tod Niedeck

17 Oct. 2021

5 min read

Sustainability: A Hallmark of Cash

An early memory, when beginning my career at Crane Currency, was noticing long rows of steaming compost in the fields adjacent to the company’s banknote paper mills. I learned that much of this organic material was made up of solids from the papermaking process – cotton and flax ‘fines’ that, when mixed with other field and yard waste, produced a rich and valuable compost.

Comment Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

30 Sept. 2021

2 min read

The CashTech Forum – Where Cash and Digital Technology Meet

CashEssentials – the think tank specialising in payments and monetary systems – has launched the CashTech Forum to promote innovation and technology, thereby ensuring a sustainable and future-proof cash ecosystem.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2021

4 min read

Winners of IACA Awards for Pandemic Response Initiatives

The International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA) held its Excellence in Currency awards ceremony on 23 September, at which it presented the eight nominations and announced the winners of the ‘Best Currency Initiative Implemented in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic’.

COVID-19

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2021

2 min read

Goznak Sales and Profit Fall in 2020, but Exports Up

Goznak is a joint stock company in which the sole shareholder is the Russian government. It competes in both Russian and global markets for security products, with a portfolio ranging from banknotes and banknote paper, circulating and commemorative coins, identity documents, excise and postage stamps to, more recently, digital technologies.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2021

5 min read

Uncertainty Prevails

This is now the seventh Industry Watch, covering 21 months, where COVID-19 has been the main issue influencing market values and trends. Given the differing impact of COVID at a given time on regions and industries and, as we are entering the last quarter of 2021, it is useful to compare the performance year to date in both our usual selected world markets and separately in markets in some other countries.

Companies COVID-19

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2021

4 min read

After the Pandemic – What Next for the Cash Industry?

We normally reserve the crystal ball gazing in Currency News™ for the end of the year, but the pandemic is no respecter of editorial calendars, and the consequences of the pandemic on our industry will last long beyond the next calendar year.

Comment COVID-19

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2021

2 min read

NPA’s New MES Delivered On Time, Despite Challenges

Despite the obstacles associated with bringing a six-person technical team to Melbourne from Milan, not to mention the delays caused by the blockage of the Suez Canal, Parvis has successfully delivered a new ABACO-MES to Note Printing Australia within the planned four-month timeframe.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2021

2 min read

Regional Banknote of the Year Awards to Go Online for 2021

One of the highlights of the High Security Printing™ conferences each year are the regional awards for the best banknotes and ID documents. Thanks to COVID-19, no in-person HSP has been possible since the last event in Lisbon in March 2020. Reconnaissance International, organiser of the HSP events, has decided to bridge the gap by holding a series of virtual awards instead.

Events

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2021

3 min read

In Other News

Japan’s National Printing Bureau has started producing new 10,000 yen banknotes, which are expected to enter circulation in the first half of 2024. A special ceremony was held to mark the start of production, attended by Finance Minister Aso Taro.

News

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2021

5 min read

News in Brief

Slovakia may be the next EU monetary union participant to drop the two lowest denomination euro coins. The Slovakian cabinet has issued a draft revision to the law on prices and, if passed by the Slovakian Parliament, the new pricing rules would become effective 1 January 2022.

News

Astrid Mitchell

29 Sept. 2021

1 min read

More Bicentennial Celebrations

Close on the heels of Guatemala, another country in Latin America that has issued a commemorative banknote to celebrates its bicentennial this year is the Bank of Mexico, with a new 20 peso. The latest GUARDIAN® polymer banknote issued in the Bank’s G series of notes, the new 20 pesos depicts the Army of the Three Guaranties (Religion, Union and Independence) entering Mexico City on 27 September 1821.

Banknotes