India announces new 100-rupees note

The Reserve Bank of India has announced that a new 100-rupees note will soon be issued.

The new note shows the familiar portrait of Mahatma Gandhi on the front with the Rani Ki Vav stepwell in the back. The note measures 142 x 66 mm and its colors will be lavender, dark grey and light orange.

Steven Thursday 26 July 2018 at 11:13 am | | news | No comments
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Solomon Islands: new note and move to polymer

The Governor of the Central Bank of the Solomon Islands Denton Rarawa has announced that a new 5-dollar note will be issued in the first quarter of 2019.

The new note will be made from polymer. The Governor also announced that all legal tender banknotes will eventually be made of polymer.

Steven Thursday 26 July 2018 at 11:07 am | | news | No comments
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Solomon Islands issue commemorative banknote

The Central Bank of the Solomon Islands announced in May that it would issue a new commemorative banknote of 40 dollars in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the country's independence. 

The new note was issued on 5 July 2018 and is shown here:

Steven Thursday 26 July 2018 at 10:58 am | | news | No comments

Costa Rica goes polymer

The Banco Central de Costa Rica has announced its decision to change all the current denominations currently printed on cotton paper to polymer substrate.

The bank’s decision was based on "the high counterfeiting rate of the current cotton paper banknotes, versus the null counterfeiting rate of the 1000 colones notes printed on Guardian polymer, which have been in circulation since 2011." The humid climate, the conservation of the environment and the fact polymer notes cost less in the long run because of higher durability are also factors why the BCCR supports the change to polymer. 

Steven Thursday 26 July 2018 at 10:51 am | | news | No comments
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Poland announces commemorative 20-zlotych note

The Narodowi Bank Polski (National Bank of Poland) has announced a new commemorative banknote of 20 zlotych commemorative of the Centennial of Polish Independence this year. The banknote will be issued on 31 August 2018 in an issue of only 50,000 pieces. 

The front of the note shows Józef Pilsudski and the badge of the Polish Military Organization, the cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and the badge of the 1st Legion Brigade. The back of the note shows the Polish flag and an image of a legionary eagle holding a shield of Amazons in its claws. The dimensions of the note are 150 x 77 mm. 


Steven Thursday 26 July 2018 at 10:38 am | | news | No comments
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Hungary announces redesigned 500-forint note

The Central Bank of Hungary is replacing all issued banknotes. The new banknotes will get an updated design, new security features and the printing process will be made more cost efficient. The new banknotes are expected to last for another 20 years.

The last banknote to be changed will be the 500-forint note. The general public will be able to use upgraded 500 forint notes from 1 February 2019 though the new note will be legal tender from 4 July 2018. Yes, that sounds a bit weird...

Steven Friday 06 July 2018 at 4:12 pm | | news | No comments
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Bolivia issues second note of the new series

The Banco Central de Bolivia has issued its second note of the new series: the 20-bolivianos note. 

The new note shows the image of Genoveva Ríos, a girl who rescued the Bolivian flag in Antofagasta in 1879. The second person on the new note is Tomás Katari, a native leader who led one of the first indigenous rebellions in the North of Potosí. And third Pedro Ignacio Muiba, who led another insurrection against his oppressors.

The new note also includes Fort Samaypata, Laguna Bay, the Toborochi tree and the Black Cayman

Steven Friday 06 July 2018 at 3:52 pm | | news | No comments
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South Africa reveals its commemorative set

The South African Reserve Bank annnounced earlier this year that a special commemorative banknote series would be issued thuis year, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela. 

In a press release dated 13 June 2018 the Reserve Bank finally shows the design of this new series. The front of the notes remains the same as the current series. The back of the notes show a portrait of a young Mandela and places connected with his life.

  • 10 rand: Mvezo, the villiage where Nelson Mandela was born as Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela on 18 July 1918. 
  • 20 rand: Soweto, where Mandela lived part of his life and began his prostest against Apartheid.
  • 50 rand: Howick, where Mandela was arrested in 1962.
  • 100 rand: Robben Island, where Mandela spent part of his prison sentence.
  • 200 rand: Pretoria, where the 9 m high statue of Nelson Mandela is placed in the Union Buildings grounds.

The new series will be issued from 18 July 2018.  





Steven Monday 25 June 2018 at 12:44 pm | | news | No comments

South Sudan to introduce new 500-pound note

The Bank of South Sudan (don't bother clicking the link, they still haven't got a proper website) has announced it will introduce a new 500-pound note "soon". The introduction of the new 500-pound banknote, which will be the highest-domination note in circulation in the country, comes as a direct result of the soaring inflation four-and half-year after the beginning of civil war. 

On the black market at the moment, one U.S. dollar is exchanged for 300 South Sudanese pounds.

Steven Monday 25 June 2018 at 12:32 pm | | news | No comments
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Macedonia to be renamed to North Macedonia?

Macedonia and Greece have finally signed an agreement regarding the name of Macedonia. Officially Macedonia is called the Republic of Macedonia but because Greece also has a region within its borders called Macedonia, they didn't accept their neighbors using this name. So when Macedonia became a member of the United Nations in 1993 the country was admitted under the provisional description "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" sometimes abbreviated as FYROM. Not really a catchy name... 

On 12 June 2018 an agreement was reached between Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev, where the Republic of Macedonia could be renamed the "Republic of North Macedonia". Zaev has stated his intent to put the new name to a referendum before officially renaming the country.

If the new name is officially adopted, this will probably also mean a new name on the (North) Macedonian banknotes.

Update: I've switched off the reactions. My site isn't the place for political propaganda, there are plenty of other websites for just that. 

Steven Monday 25 June 2018 at 12:13 pm | | news |

Sudan issues new 50-pound note

The Central Bank of Sudan has issued a new 50-pound note to combat the many counterfeited bills of the previous issue. 

The new banknote is dated 2018 and the dominant colors are rose and violet blue. The front of the note shows the Central Bank building and three gold bars, with a sailboat in the back. In the top left it has the value "50" printed with optical variable ink that changes from golden to green.

I wonder what the note looks like in reality. The picture below looks like it has been through a few cycles in the washing machine.  

Steven Sunday 10 June 2018 at 12:03 pm | | news | No comments
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Azerbaijan introduces new 200-manat note

There have been several rumours about bigger denominations in Azerbaijan. None turned put to be true. But now the Central Bank of Azerbaijan has indeed introduced a new denomination of 200 manat. 

The US company Crane Currency won the contest on development of the new currency design. The currency, that incorporates progressive security features, was printed by Giesecke+Devrient

The motif of the new note is the ‘Heydar Aliyev Center’ constructed to the memory of 'National Leader' Heydar Aliyev. The new banknote features the image of the Heydar Aliyev Center, the main exterior and interior design elements, elements of national carpet samples and other national ornaments.

Steven Sunday 27 May 2018 at 2:03 pm | | news | No comments
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Ulster Bank presents new vertical banknotes

The Ulster Bank has presented its new banknotes of 5 and 10 pound as reported by various sources like The Irish Times.  The new notes will have a design feature unique to currency in Britain and Ireland: they will have a vertical orientation. 

The five pound note features pictures of Strangford Lough and Brent Geese while the ten pound version shows Lough Erne, an Irish hare and Guelder-rose shrubs. The notes also feature culinary delights associated with the north, namely a king scallop and an Ulster Glade potato.

Another remarkable design feature is the little 'tab' on the top of the note. It took me a few takes before I realised it was part of the front of the note and not a partially-cut piece of an image of the back of the note. 

There are people worrying that the notes won't be accepted outside Northern-Ireland but the Ulster Bank stressed all banknotes from the north are legal currency in the UK "and will be able to be used for cash transactions across the UK."

The new notes are expected to be issued into circulation early 2019. 

Steven Friday 25 May 2018 at 12:41 pm | | news | No comments

Russia issues FIFA World Cup commemorative note

Russian banknote printer Goznak  and the Bank of Russia have presented the commemorative banknote of 100 rubles for the FIFA World Cup 2018. 

From the press release: "The design of the front of the banknote symbolizes a link between generations: a boy is dreaming to repeat the achievements of great football players like Lev Yashin, a goalkeeper whose name is written into the history of the world football.

The back of the note features a stylized image of the globe in the form of a football with a colour image of the territory of Russian Federation outlined on it. Below emphasizing the ball’s movement, there are the names of the cities hosting the playoffs. At the top of the back of the banknote, there are silhouettes of football fans printed in the colours of the Russian flag.

The use of the polymer substrate has made it possible to incorporate visual security features that can be checked from both sides of the banknote thanks to the polymer transparency. For example, a bright holographic image is observed at the top on both sides of the banknote.

Line marks at the edges of the front of the banknote have raised relief and can be identified by touch.

QR-code on the front side of banknote contains a link to the page of the Bank of Russia website with the description of the note’s security features.
The official logotype and emblem of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ become visible under ultraviolet light.

Roughly 20 million notes will be brought into circulation."

I personally think this new note looks amazing!

Steven Friday 25 May 2018 at 12:25 pm | | news | No comments

Macedonia issues its first polymer banknotes

The Narodne Banka na Republika Makedonia (National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia) has issued two new banknotes of 10 and 50 denarii on 15 May 2018.

"These banknotes were printed on a polymer substrate. They are the first polymer banknotes issued by NBRM. The design of new banknotes is based on paper counterparts in circulation. As of May 15, 2018, new polymeric banknotes in these denominations replaced the paper ones that have been issued since 1996. After May 15, 2018 paper banknotes with denominations of 10 and 50 denarii will disappear from the general circulation and will be exchanged by commercial banks by May 15, 2019. After May 1, 2019, the above-mentioned paper banknotes will be exchanged only in NBRM branches."


Steven Monday 21 May 2018 at 4:03 pm | | news | No comments
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