Samoa announces commemorative 10-tala banknote

The Central Bank of Samoa has announced it intends to issue a commemorative 10-tala banknote in celebration of the XVI Pacific Games 2019 which will be held in Samoa on the 7 July 2019. 

"The $10 banknote will be the second polymer banknote issued in Samoa and the first carbon offset banknote created from the polymer substrate. 

Governor Ainuu-Enari said, "The new $10 Tala banknote design, celebrates the youth of Samoa and our sporting legacy.  Their stories of daily life and the realization of their sporting dreams are told through images placed on the note."

The Governor also said, the new banknote is one of a kind for Samoa as it will have a horizontal front and a vertical back.  The security features will be easy to recognize and deter counterfeiting.  With features including the Pacific Games logo depicted as a clear window with flames color gravure that support the clear window shape.  A mask feature beside the clear window appears as a plain printed green pattern when held up to the light, the number 10 appears as well as a pattern of raised dots to help the visually impaired.

This new banknote will be circulated with the existing 10 tala which will remain legal tender."

Steven Vrijdag 31 Mei 2019 at 7:06 pm | | news | Geen reacties

ECB issues new 100- and 200-euro notes

The European Central Bank has issued the new 100- and 200-euro banknotes on 28 May 2019. With these last two notes the new Europa-series is complete. 

In the words of the ECB: "The new €100 and €200 banknotes make use of new and innovative security features. Just like the other denominations, the new notes are easy to check when using the “feel, look and tilt” method. At the top of the silvery stripe a satellite hologram shows small € symbols that move around the number and become clearer under direct light. The silvery stripe also shows the portrait of Europa, the architectural motif and a large € symbol. The new €100 and €200 banknotes also feature an enhanced emerald number. While the emerald number itself is present on all the other notes of the Europa series, this enhanced version also shows € symbols inside the numerals.

The new €100 and €200 notes are a different size to the old €100 and €200 notes. Both denominations are now the same height as the €50 banknote. However, their length remains unchanged – the longer the note, the higher the value. Since the €50, €100 and €200 banknotes are now the same height, they can be more easily handled and processed by machines. They will also fit better in people’s wallets and last longer, as they will be subject to less wear and tear.

In addition to the security features that can be seen with the naked eye, euro banknotes also contain machine-readable security features. On the new €100 and €200 banknotes these features have been enhanced, and new ones have been added to enable the notes to be processed and authenticated swiftly. As Executive Board Member Yves Mersch highlighted in his speech unveiling the new banknotes, with the changeover to the new €100 and €200 the entire set of euro banknotes will continue to offer strong protection against counterfeiting. This makes euro banknotes even more secure, but also easier to check and handle."


Pictures from banknotenews.com.

Steven Vrijdag 31 Mei 2019 at 6:57 pm | | news | Geen reacties
Gebruikte Tags: , ,

Aruba presents new banknotes

The Centrale Bank van Aruba has presented its new banknotes on 20 May 2019. The theme of the new series: "With the introduction of the 2019 banknote series, the CBA aims to maintain confidence in the florin and contribute in promoting the uniqueness and beauty of Aruba’s flora, fauna, cultural heritage, monuments, and landmarks."

The current series will circulate in parallel for 10 weeks, and can be exchanged for new notes for 30 years.






Steven Zaterdag 25 Mei 2019 at 10:41 am | | news | Geen reacties
Gebruikte Tags:

New additions week 21 - 2019

Mujand has some great new fantasy notes out. Starting with the very popular National Parks series. The two new notes show the Mingan Archipelago National Park in Canada and the Bako National Park in Malaysia. Both notes, like the rest of the series, showcase the local flora and fauna from the national park and would make great souvenirs if you've ever visited these sites. Like all notes, you can buy them at the the Mujand Shop but do hurry because this series is selling fast with a few of the 9 available notes already sold out. 

A new series started by Mujand is the Legend Series. The first two notes show two legendary ladies from England and the Netherlands. The English note has Lady Godiva on the front. For those unfamiliar with her, let's see what Professor Wikipedia has to say: "Godiva, Countess of Mercia (died between 1066 and 1086), was an English noblewoman who, according to a legend dating at least to the 13th century, rode naked – covered only in her long hair – through the streets of Coventry to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation that her husband imposed on his tenants. The name "Peeping Tom" for a voyeur originates from later versions of this legend in which a man named Thomas watched her ride and was struck blind or dead." Sounds like a fun lady and the note shows her in full glory, the picture derived from the painting by John Collier. 

The second Legend is Mata Hari. The Dutch World War I spy / femme fatale / exotic dancer / courtesan (take your pick) who was executed by the French for spying. Fun fact: the numerals on the note, like the '50' are a reference to the old guilder-notes from the Netherlands. 

So no new notes from the Blissdane Naive universe? Of course there are. Like the third note from Toroguay, the bio-luminescence world. There is now also a yellow 10-lixo note available. 

And last, but by no means least: we have a new poneet islands tobacco note! This 10-kasutu note clearly shows why this may be my favourite series. The level of detail, the colors, the women on the back: it all fits somehow and is in perfect balance. I can only hope that we will see a fifth note one day. 

Disclaimer: these notes were sent for review purposes. The text is entirely mine and was not paid for or asked for in any way.

Steven Zaterdag 25 Mei 2019 at 10:00 am | | new additions | Geen reacties
Gebruikte Tags:

New additions week 20 - 2019

A bucket load of new banknotes for my collection this week! My aunt and uncle came back from their annual winter stay in Thailand bringing back the new 500-baht featuring the new King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun (or Rama X). 

All the other new notes were fantasy notes, starting with the 0-euro MemoEuro of which I got 5 from different sources. You can buy these notes at the sights depicted on the notes in Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Austria. More info on these fun notes can be found at MemoEuro.eu. I've complete a list of notes issued thus far here. The notes I've acquired are 'from' Slagharen, Delft, Ypres, the Airborne Museum Hartenstein and Scheveningen. 

The second batch of fantasy notes is from the already legendary Mujand in the next post.

Steven Zaterdag 25 Mei 2019 at 09:24 am | | new additions | Geen reacties

USA postpones Harriet Tubman 20-dollar note

Harriet Tubman, ca. 1885In 2016 it was announced that anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman would be the face of the new 20-dollar note. She would push the current face of Andrew Jackson to the back of the note. The announcement was made by then secretary Jack Lew who was the Treasury Secretary at the time under president Obama. 

But then the USA held elections, Obama left and Trump came into office and… the rest is a daily reminder of how quickly things can change for the worse and how fragile our democracies really are. So now the USA is stuck with Secretary Mnuchin who runs the Treasury under the Trump regime. Originally the new 20-dollar note was expected for 2020 together with a new 5- and 10-dollar note.  But surprise, surprise: the 20-dollar note is postponed. Officially due to “counterfeiting issues” but the fact that Trumps hero Andrew Jackson would be pushed to the back of the note might have something to do with it. Also the fact that Tubman was black, a woman, fought white supremacy at the time and grew up in poverty doesn’t really tick the right boxes with the current president. So the new note has been postponed to 2028.  But to be fair: I’m not very sad that this monumental new note will be postponed until after the moment Trump leaves (I hope) the White House. It would be a really weird scene if somebody like Trump or one his minions would present this banknote. Just imagine North Korea hosting the Nobel Peace Price ceremony: that level of weird. The note deserves better presenters, hopefully not long after 2020…

Steven Zaterdag 25 Mei 2019 at 08:14 am | | news |
Gebruikte Tags: , ,

Bank of Ghana issues updated banknotes

The Bank of Ghana has issued on 6 May 2019 its updated notes. From the press release:

"The upgraded banknotes will have enhanced security features in line with evolving changes in the technological landscape. The upgraded banknotes also come with improved durability and machine readability. The enhanced security features are:

  • Optically Variable Magnetic Image (SPARK LIVE): It is a shiny colour-changing image of the cowrie shell on the GH₵10, star on the GH₵20 and cocoa pod on the GH₵50. When the note is tilted, a shiny line across the cowrie shell, star, and cocoa pod moves up and down. The colour of the feature also changes from gold to green when tilted.
  • New Enhanced Security Thread (RAPID): It is a shiny broken line with movement that runs through the banknote from top to bottom. It is continuous when viewed against light. When the note is tilted, a star expands and contracts while the denomination value stays still.
  • More Prominent Watermark: It is the image of Tetteh Quarshie with a cocoa pod which has been made more noticeable in the plain star area of the banknote. It becomes visible on both sides when viewed against light. The denomination value can also be seen in the watermark area.
  • Enhanced Iridescent Band at the Back of the Banknote: It is a golden band with gold bars at the back of the banknote that runs from top to bottom. It can be seen more clearly when the note is tilted against light.

The following principal design elements remain unchanged in the upgraded banknotes:

  • The Big Six portrait
  • Denominational colours
  • Dimensions of the various denominations
  • Other principal and background images

The upgraded and the existing series of banknotes will co-circulate."





Steven Vrijdag 17 Mei 2019 at 09:55 am | | news | Geen reacties
Gebruikte Tags: ,

Error on Australia's 50-dollar note

The Reserve Bank of Australia has admitted there's a spelling error on the new 50-dollar note which was introduced on 18 October 2018. In the microprint on the back in an excerpt from Edith Cowan's maiden parliamentary speech is the word "responsibilty": spelled without an i between the l and the t. The RBA addresses the error in the updated Q&A on the new banknote series:

So the error will be corrected in the second print of the banknote which will be issued mid 2019.

Steven Vrijdag 17 Mei 2019 at 09:44 am | | news | Geen reacties
Gebruikte Tags: ,

Central Bank of the Bahamas: new 3-dollar note

The Central Bank of the Bahamas has issued its new 3-dollar note on 28 March 2019.

From the press release: "Predominantly, burgundy with shades of brown, red, lavender, and yellow, the banknote measures 156 mm long and 67 mm wide bearing on the front a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the series, and the signature of the Governor of the Central Bank of The Bahamas, together with the words "Central Bank of The Bahamas. These notes are legal tender under the Central Bank of The Bahamas Act 2000 for payment of any amount Three Dollars". A watermark of Queen Elizabeth II and numeral $3, a replica map of the islands of The Bahamas, and the denominational value in words and figures appear on the left, with an image of a Passion flower in the center.

The back features images of sail boats at sea. The images are flanked above by the numeral $3 that appears in the upper left and lower right corners, while the words "Three Dollars" are in the upper right quadrant. Just below the images of sail boats is the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas along with the words "Central Bank of The Bahamas"."

CRISP Evolution (CE) $3 Banknote from CBOB IAM on Vimeo.

Steven Vrijdag 17 Mei 2019 at 09:41 am | | news | Geen reacties
Gebruikte Tags: ,

Burundi issues upgraded series

The Bank of the Republic of Burundi has issued an upgraded version of its banknotes of 500-, 2,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-francs on 2 May 2019. The overall appearance of the notes is the same, except for some changes.

These include:

  • High-durability paper has been used to increase the life of the notes.
  • A nonmetallic window wire, embedded in the paper, showing a heifer's head and the letters "BRB" making rapid movements when the bill is tilted.
  • On the 2,000 pineapple, the 5,000 basket, and the 10,000 drum, the embossed "BRB" letters have been removed to make the color change effect more visible when the bill is tilted.
  • On the basket of 5,000 and the drum of 10,000, a ring that moves when these banknotes are inclined replaces the vertical bar on the bills in circulation.

Steven Zaterdag 04 Mei 2019 at 11:38 pm | | news | Geen reacties
Gebruikte Tags:

China announces upgraded series

The People's Bank of China has announced that from 30 August 2019 an upgraded version of the current series of banknotes will be issued to the public. 

The upgrades include redrawn vignettes, the year 2019, enhanced anti-counterfeiting features including denomination as registration device and additional Omron rings on all denominations, windowed security threads, denomination in SPARK and vertical serial numbers at the right front of the notes except for the 1-yuan note.




Steven Zaterdag 04 Mei 2019 at 11:28 pm | | news | Geen reacties
Gebruikte Tags:

Belarus announces new 5- and 10-ruble notes

In September 2018 the Board of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus announced the modification of the existing banknotes. With the latest press release from 30 April the date to issue the new 5- and 10-ruble notes has been set for 20 May 2019. 

The new notes look like the current notes with some changes: the date is 2019, there are no signatures, there is an additional watermark and wider security threads.

Update 25 May 2019:


Steven Zaterdag 04 Mei 2019 at 9:56 pm | | news | Eén reactie
Gebruikte Tags: