The Central Bank of Lebanon has announced on 22 July 2015 it will start circulating the new 50,000-livre polymer note commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Lebanese army on 1 August 2015.
The note is predominantly blue and shows all kinds of military themes. The front of the note depicts the motto of the army "Honor, Sacrifice, Loyalty". We also see a soldier carrying the Lebanese flag and a silhouette of two soldiers where the special ink gives the effect of a camouflage uniform.
The back of the note shows a monument to the martyrs of the Lebanese army, the silhouette of a soldier who makes a salute and the date 1945-2015.
At the beginning of this year the Maldives Monetary Authorityannounced it was designing a commemorative note celebrating 50 years of independence. I guessed it would be presented around 26 July 2015 and behold: I guessed right!
Yesterday the MMA introduced the commemorative polymer 5,000-rufiyaa banknote to the world. The front of the note symbolises the growth and development of the country over 50 years, from 1965 to 2015. Two images of the northern seashore of the capital city of Male’, taken approximately 50 years apart, are used to portray the transition and progress.
The back of the note illustrates the ceremony in which Maldives officially gained independence, on 26 July 1965. It signifies the peaceful approach taken by the country in obtaining independence. The design around the illustration signifies the uniqueness, craftsmanship, heritage, and Islamic customs retained by Maldivians over the centuries.
The commemorative note was designed by Mr. Abdulla Nashaath. The Dhivehi typography used in the commemorative note was developed by Mr. Mohamed Fayaz, Mr. Ibrahim Arafath, Ms. Khadheeja Shaneez Bushry and Mr. Hussain Fazeel.
Honestly, I don't know what to think of this note. It doesn't look bad... but... the front also looks a bit like an early sketch instead of the finished product. The back looks more finished but also a bit outdated. Haven't we seen this kind of design decades ago?
I wonder what it will look like in real life. At 293 euro in nominal value, I doubt I will have one for real so maybe I can see it in Maastricht in September.
Bolivia is exploring the possibility of introducing new notes with a higher denomination than the current highest 200-boliviano note, according to an article on La Razon.
MRI Bankers' Guide reports that a 500-, 700- and 1,000-boliviano note are currently being explored though I haven't been able to verify this. The 700-boliviano seems like an odd number though. We'll have to wait and see where the exploration leads to.
Besides the 5,000-franc note which will be issued later this month, the Central Bank of Guinea has also introduced a new 20,000-franc note in May 2015. The new note will be the biggest denomination in the country being twice the amount of the previous largest 10,000-franc denomination.
The note shows Guinea is modern and open to the world symbolized by two pigeons taking flight. The front also shows a Guinean woman honouring their role in the national economy. The back shows a hydroelectric dam in Kaleta. The note is coated with a protective varnish to extend its lifespan and has markings for the sight impaired.
The Central Bank of Guinea has announced that a new 5,000-franc banknote will be issued at the end of July 2015. It has the same design as the existing 5,000-franc note but will be reduced in size and has, of course, updated security features.
Well, Greece, Greece, anything interesting to report on Greece? Our fellow EU and euro member state is the continuing headline in every newspaper and report on tv these days. Will they get extra money, will their debt be relieved or will we have a Grexit where Greece leaves the Eurozone? More and more it seems the latter will be the scenario: Greece forced to leave the eurozone and having to introduce a new (or old) currency. Nobody knows for sure what will happen (although everybody on tv and in the papers thinks they do).
From a collectors viewpoint this could also be interesting. Will we get a reintroduction of the old drachma? Or will they join the ranks of Montenegro and Kosovo by using the euro without being in the eurozone?Or could they perhaps introduce a whole new currency?
To read more on the choices Greece could face in the coming weeks, read this excellent article in the Daily Telegraph on how to introduce a new currency.
Good news for the blind and visually impaired people from Zambia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both countries have announced that they will issue banknotes with so-called tactile marks (which is something else than the more famous braille, see for instance these examples of the euro).
Today the UAE introduces new notes of 5- and 500-dirham which have the same aid-system as the recently introduced 50- and 100-dirham notes.
Zambia will introduce its new notes at the end of 2015. No specific date has been given yet.
The National Reserve Bank of Tonga is launching an upgraded family of six banknotes that have been printed by De La Rue. The notes bear the portrait of the new King and are issued to mark the coronation of His Majesty King Tupou VI.
Monday 29 June 2015: the National Reserve Bank of Tonga is today launching an upgraded family of banknotes into circulation. The 6 denominations are similar to the existing notes in circulation but bear the portrait of His Majesty King Tupou VI which replaces that of his late Brother King Tupou V.
The 6 denominations – 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pa’anga – have similar security features to the existing notes, with De La Rue’s award winning Optiks™ security thread on the 2 top value 50 and 100 pa’anga and colour changing StarChrome® on the lower denominations. The new and old notes will co-circulate for a period of time until the older notes are withdrawn from circulation at the end of the year.
Commenting on the announcement, Governor of the National Reserve Bank Dr Sione Ngongo Kioa said "We are proud that the upgraded banknotes bear a portrait of our new King Tupou VI and wish to thank De La Rue for their assistance in bringing these new banknotes to launch".
Ruth Euling, De La Rue’s Global Sales Account Director said "Our relationship with Tonga dates back to 1921 and we are therefore honoured to have continued to work with this valued customer on this upgraded family of banknotes".
The Central Bank of Syria has issued a new 1,000-pound note on 30 June 2015. Maybe rather surprisingly the new note doesn't have a picture of the current (Bahsar Assad) or former president (Hafez Assad) on it but rather an image of an ancient Roman theater in the southern Daraa province.
Governor Adib Mayaleh's statement, carried by the state news agency SANA, says the move is part of efforts to improve the paper currency in circulation. Mayaleh insists the new banknote will not affect the rate of inflation but that it will simply replace 70 billion worn-out banknotes that are being withdrawn.
Even more news from Poland. In the same press conference where the updated 200-zloty banknote was shown by the Narodowy Bank Polski (National Bank of Poland, NBP) it was also announced that in 2018 a new 500-zloty note will be introduced.
The new note will feature the image King Jan Sobieski III, thus continuing the chronological continuity of the "Polish Rulers" series. The NBP plans to issue the banknote in 2018. It’s not yet known exactly what the note will look like, the NBP said.
The aim of the new 500-zloty note is to lower costs of issuance and increase effectiveness of monetary management, according to Marek Ole?, the director of the issuance-treasury department at the NBP. The Polish Rulers series was designed by Andrzej Heidrich, and was initiated in 1995.
The Narodowy Bank Polski (National Bank of Poland) has announced on 23 June 2015 that a redesigned 200-zloty banknote will be issued in February 2016. The updated design includes several new security features.
Update 5-2-2016: The new note will be issued on 12 February 2016 according to this press release.
The video below shows the new note in all its glory.
Hello, I'm Steven Bron and welcome to my blog on banknotes! Here you can find: breaking news, background articles and of course my personal collection (world notes or at least one from each country, commemorative notes and polymer notes).
The Central Bank of Lebanon has announced on 22 July 2015 it will start circulating the new 50,000-livre polymer note commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Lebanese army on 1 August 2015. 
At the beginning of this year the 
Bolivia is exploring the possibility of introducing new notes with a higher denomination than the current highest 200-boliviano note, according to an article on 
Besides the 
Well, Greece, Greece, anything interesting to report on Greece? Our fellow EU and euro member state is the continuing headline in every newspaper and report on tv these days. Will they get extra money, will their debt be relieved or will we have a Grexit where Greece leaves the Eurozone? More and more it seems the latter will be the scenario: Greece forced to leave the eurozone and having to introduce a new (or old) currency. Nobody knows for sure what will happen (although everybody on tv and in the papers thinks they do).
Good news for the blind and visually impaired people from Zambia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both countries have announced that they will issue banknotes with so-called tactile marks (which is something else than the more famous braille, see for instance 
From a 
The 
Even more news from Poland. In the same press conference where the updated 
