Latest News

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

4 min read

The Modern Omani Renaissance in Banknotes

ln celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Modern Omani Renaissance, the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) has launched a new series. Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula at the mouth of the Arabian Gulf, sharing its borders with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The first national currency was introduced in 1970, replacing the Gulf rupee. Its current name, the Omani rial, was adopted in 1972. Coins were introduced earlier, in 1941.

Banknotes Substrates, Features

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

1 min read

BIN Global Central Bank Survey Results

Banknote Industry News (BIN) surveyed 36 central banks at the end of 2020 with a wide range of questions. Two thirds of those surveyed did not change their banknote handling practices in the pandemic, neither disinfecting nor quarantining notes. The 25% who have changed their practices, continue with them. Although a quarter said that trust and confidence in banknotes had been reduced by the pandemic, 69% said there was no change.

Central Banks Studies, Reports

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

4 min read

Seaweed – a Natural Solution to Keep Banknotes Clean

COVID-19 has impacted cash usage in a number of ways. Some were inevitable, such as a reduction in use due to the move to online shopping and lockdowns. But one was avoidable and has unfairly and negatively affected both the use and perception of cash, and that was that it carried, and was capable of transmitting, the coronavirus.

Banknotes Sustainability Technology

Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions

2 March 2021

3 min read

Solidarity in Times of Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has had massive impact at a global scale. If mostly negative, it has also generated an incredible surge of solidarity. Governments, associations and individuals have all in their own way launched initiatives to help those most in need. Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions along with the banknote industry have played their part too.

COVID-19

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

2 min read

New Home for SICPA Down Under

The reputation of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Craigieburn site in Melbourne as the world’s most unique banknote precinct has been strengthened with the arrival of SICPA Australia, which is basing its headquarters there. Note Printing Australia (also located on the site) has a long-term supply agreement with SICPA, and the RBA is committed to the use of SICPA proprietary features such as SPARK Live™ on its banknotes for the foreseeable future.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

2 min read

The View from China

As relayed to Currency News in this month’s On the Record, the Chairman of China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation (CBPM), Mr Yang Lijie, is optimistic about the future of cash, proud of the achievements of his organisation in terms of quality, sustainability and CSR, and willing to make more friends and more partners with the industry around the world.

Central Banks

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

2 min read

Security Threads for Banknotes

A new special report, ‘Security Threads for Banknotes’, is about to be released. Published by Currency Publications, it follows the successful and informative Special Report ‘Diffractive Features on Banknotes’. Published in a similar format, the 130-page report is available in both printed and digital form.

Studies, Reports Substrates, Features

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

3 min read

UK Cash Industry Joins Forces to Meet Climate Targets

In the last quarter of last year, the UK bank NatWest established three cross industry working groups to improve the environmental performance of the UK’s cash cycle. Involving 36 organisations, the working groups looked at energy, plastics and CO2 to establish best practice and to drive change.

Companies Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

2 min read

Authentication Through Animation

Banknotes have become highly sophisticated, with a massive range of machine readable features to fight the counterfeit threat. At the same time, says Louisenthal, it has also been creating innovative Level 1 features, to stop the counterfeit threat at the first pass, which are memorable, simple to use, visible even under poor lighting conditions and which, at the same time, also send a positive theme into the local community.

Banknotes Substrates, Features

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

8 min read

Quality, CSR and Partnership on the Global Stage – an Interview with the Chairman of the Board of CBPM

China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation (CBPM) is the world’s largest manufacturer for banknotes and coins – not only producing more currency than any other printer or mint, but also offering the full gamut of production and security technology through a network of subsidiaries dedicated to R&D, features, substrates and ink, minting, printing and processing equipment, as well as production itself.

Interviews

John Winchcombe

2 March 2021

2 min read

Cash & Payment News in February

The theme of February’s Cash and Payment News (CPN) is very much on the future of cash and payments, considering as it does two sides of a coin, namely evidence of cash under pressure and the robust activity underway to keep it available, useful and preferred.

CBDC

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

5 min read

News In Brief

Prosegur, including its cash business Prosegur Cash, is the first security group to sign up to ‘The Climate Pledge’, a commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2040. The Climate Pledge initiative was created by Amazon and Global Optimism in 2019 and 53 companies are now signed up to it.

Companies News Technology

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

5 min read

Cash Industry Leaders – What a Difference a Year Makes

January and February are when six of the leading listed companies in cash report their annual results for the previous year. The time last year, all but one reported strong results and optimistic outlooks.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

4 min read

How the Cash Industry Can Turn Goodwill into Practice

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), something of a buzzword in ‘corporate speak’, is defined as a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable—to itself, its stakeholders, and the public. Which sounds great, as indeed it is. But isn’t really anything new.

Comment

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

3 min read

CEO Baton Passed on at Koenig & Bauer

2021 started with the CEO of Koenig & Bauer, Claus Bolza-Schünemann, handing over the baton to Dr Andreas Plesske, board member responsible for Koenig & Bauer’s Special segment, which includes Banknote Solutions.

Central Banks Companies News

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

4 min read

Banque de France Invests in Modernisation

Actemium Cournon Engineering is a subsidiary of VINCI Energies, specialising in industrial engineering that accelerates manufacturing integration and control using new technologies. Based 15km from the Banque de France’s printing plant, it was hired to work on five key projects, two in the paper mill and three in the printworks.

Central Banks Technology

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

3 min read

Healthy Indoor Environment for Banks and Banknote Processing

Royal Dutch Kusters Engineering (Kusters) – which specialises in banknote destruction systems - has expanded its portfolio with its new range of Air Purification systems, in response to the importance of a healthy indoor environment in offices and cash processing areas.

COVID-19 Technology

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

3 min read

Shrap Offers a Future Without Coins

At the Future of Cash conference, Chris Forero-Slee introduced his business, Shrap. As he said, he does not expect to be popular with those who make their living from or who like coins. Shrap (the company presumably takes its name from shrapnel, ie. fragments of shells or bullets but also a colloquial term for small change) is a solution that offers an alternative to coins, which they regard as a ‘pain point’ in payments.

Coins Companies

Astrid Mitchell

2 March 2021

9 min read

2020: A Good Year for Polymer Banknotes

Competition creates energy and change. It can be argued that 2020 was the year where the impact of there being two suppliers of polymer substrate in the banknote market started to be seen. The take-up of polymer by central banks accelerated, while investment brought new security features to market, more capacity and more recycling capability.

Banknotes Substrates, Features

4 Jan. 2018

1 min read

Cash & Payment News

Cash & Payment News™ is a unique source of information on cash and how it can be optimised in circulation from the perspective of the public, banks and retailers, central bank cash departments, consumer payments providers and the industries that supply these.