Venezuela announes new 100,000-bolivares note

Dictator President Maduro has announced that the Central Bank of Venezuela will issue a new note of 100,000-bolivares to the public. Its worth is very low since the country (which potentially could be the richest country in South America) is struck by financial, political and economical chaos and hyperinflation. Like everything else in Venezuela, they seem to have f***ed up this banknote as well... 

The design of the 'new' banknote is very similar to the 'old' 100-bolivares note apart from the color. The same image of Simon Bolivar and the birds on the back has been used. The number on the note is also a simple 100 but the real value can be read beneath the number. I'm sure that won't cause any confusion...

New 100,000-bolivares:

Old 100-bolivares:

Steven Zaterdag 04 November 2017 at 5:12 pm | | news | Geen reacties
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ECCB orders new 50-dollar banknote

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has decided that a new 50-dollar banknote will be introduced honoring its late Governor Sir K. Dwight Venner. His image will be displayed as a permanent tribute to his legacy.

"The late Honourable Sir K Dwight Venner, former Governor of the ECCB, served the ECCB member countries and the wider Caribbean with distinction over a 26-year period. As a lasting tribute to his sterling contribution, the ECCB engaged the services of De La Rue, the authorised printer of its circulation banknotes, to prepare design concepts for a new $50 note bearing the image of Sir Dwight, in addition to the standard security features of the existing banknotes."

A date of issue hasn't been mentioned yet. 

The ECCB is the Central Bank for Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Anguilla. 

Steven Zaterdag 04 November 2017 at 4:50 pm | | news | Geen reacties
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Vanuatu completes new series with 500-vatu note

The Reserve Bank of Vanuatu (RBV) has introduced the last note of the new series. This 500-vatu note is printed on polymer just like the other notes in the new series. 

From the press release: "Like the new VT5000 banknote released earlier in July, the new VT500 note will also incorporate an effective tactile feature to assist visually impaired people. The new banknote incorporates the theme of 'culture' and features the frontage of the original 'Nakamal blong ol Jifs', and other cultural activities such as sand drawing and traditional dancing. In continuation with existing practice of replaced paper notes, the new banknote will co-circulate the existing VT500 paper note as legal tenders. RBV will continue to withdraw all the replaced paper notes from public circulation until such time when the Bank decides to demonetize them."

Vanuatu’s banknotes are made by Note Printing Australia Limited, a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Update 19-11-2017: better pictures (source). They look pretty nice right?

Steven Zaterdag 04 November 2017 at 4:41 pm | | news | Geen reacties
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Cambodia issues two notes of 1,000- and 5,000 riels

The National Bank of Cambodia has issued two new banknotes of 1,000- and 5,000 riels to celebrate the anniversary of the coronation of King Norodom Sihamoni

The 1,000 riels note measures 142 x 68 mm, is light blue, blue and dark yellow. The 5,000 riels note has the same measurements and has purple and brown as its colors. 


Steven Zondag 29 Oktober 2017 at 3:21 pm | | news | Geen reacties
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Kazakhstan to switch from Cyrillic to Latin alphabet

The country of Kazakhstan has announced it will change its alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin. The move is part of a modernization and development effort. But the move is also viewed as an attempt to distance the language from Russian and promote nationalism.

"The Latin alphabet will have 32 letters. Certain sounds will be covered by the use of apostrophes. The change over is scheduled to be fully implemented by 2025.

This probably means that the text on banknotes will also be modified. 

Steven Zondag 29 Oktober 2017 at 3:10 pm | | news | Geen reacties
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Why is the Queen's face so different around the world?

This excellent question is answered in this video at the BBC site where former IBNS President Peter Symes is interviewed. As most collectors know, he has a website where all 31 used portraits of Queen Elizabeth II have been gathered. You can find the 31 different portraits here and the video from the BBC here.

Steven Zondag 29 Oktober 2017 at 3:04 pm | | links | Geen reacties
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Russia reveals two new banknotes

The Central Bank of Russia has revealed the new 200- and 2,000-ruble banknotes.

The 200-rubles note is green and shows in the front the Monument to the Scuttled Ships in Sebastopol. The back shows a view of "Tauric Chersonesus" (Southern Crimea). It is printed on high density cotton paper with polymeric impregnation to insure longer life.

The 2,000-rubles note is dark blue and shows on the front the Russky Bridge in Vladivostock, with the Spaceport "Vostochny" on the back. The optically variable security element depicts a stylized image of the bridge against a background of the sun.

It seems they chose a slightly different design for the 2,000-rubles note than previously announced. But if it's a space related theme you won't hear me complaining!

Update 20-10-2017: Ukraine has officially banned the new 200-ruble banknote because it shows images from the annexed territory of the Crimea. "The National Bank of Ukraine said the ban covered all Russian currencies showing "maps, symbols, buildings, monuments" and other objects "based in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia".This means the 200-ruble note will not be converted into local currency by Russians who travel to Ukraine.


Steven Vrijdag 13 Oktober 2017 at 08:49 am | | news | Geen reacties
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MacDonald to be removed from Canadian banknotes

The Bank of Canada is planning a new banknote series which should see the light of day at the end of 2018. The first note of the new series will be the 10-dollar note. Viola Desmond (1914-1965) will be the face of that new note as I wrote in December 2016.

I also wrote that Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald who now features the 10-dollar note, would be honoured on higher value banknotes of the new series.

Well, guess again.

It has now been made clear that he will be scrapped from the banknotes all together because of the way he treated the indigenous population of Canada. As The Scotsman writes: "The move comes after a national debate over whether Macdonald should be excluded from anything bearing his name - including bank notes, schools and airports. The row centres around the Indian Act, brought in by Macdonald in 1876, which resulted in 100,000 native Canadian children being forcibly taken away from their parents.

The youngsters were sent to institutions to try to remove the "savage" influence of their parents. Instead, many of the youngsters were subjected to sexual and physical abuse at the hands of the people supposed to "civilise" them. The Indian Act was recently labelled "cultural genocide" by a national commission and a motion has been passed by the Elementary Federation of Ontario calling for Macdonald’s name to be stripped from nine schools."

Steven Woensdag 11 Oktober 2017 at 11:25 am | | news | Geen reacties
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Switzerland introduces its new 10-francs banknote

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has introduced its new 10-francs banknote today. This is the third note in the new series and has Time as its theme. Was anyone expecting Swiss watches to be on the note? You won't be completely disappointed.

The new note is yellow of color and is printed on the same Durasafe substrate as the other notes in the series. Time also points to the organisational talent of Switzerland pictured here by the hands of a conductor. There is also the image of the Earth we've seen on the previous issued notes (turned a little further again) and the different timezones on the globe. We can also see a tunnel and, yes there it is, the inner mechanics of a clock.

All details can be seen in this very informative folder (pdf) which also reveals some design elements for the upcoming notes which will be released in the coming years.

Steven Woensdag 11 Oktober 2017 at 11:01 am | | news | Geen reacties
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RBS launches new 10-pound... into space

On 4 October 2017 the Royal Bank of Scotland issued its new 10-pound note featuring the image of Mary Somerville.

The launch of the new note has been quite spectacular because in honor of Scottish scientist and astronomer Mary Somerville the note was launched not only into circulation but also into space!


Steven Woensdag 11 Oktober 2017 at 10:37 am | | news | Geen reacties
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Dominican Republic issues commemorative banknote

On 4 October 2017 the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic issued a special commemorative version of its regular 500-pesos dominicanos banknote. This note has a new date, new signatures, a new security thread and a new OVI which shows the number 70 in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Central Bank.

Image source

Steven Woensdag 11 Oktober 2017 at 10:27 am | | news | Geen reacties
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Brunei issues polymer commemorative 50-dollar note

On 9 October the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) issued a new commemorative banknote of 50 dollar. The polymer gold-colored note commemorates the 50th anniversary of the accession to the throne by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah.

Besides the regular note there will also be several numismatic products for collectors.

Steven Woensdag 11 Oktober 2017 at 10:10 am | | news | Geen reacties
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Argentina issues new 20-peso note

The Banco Central de la República Argentina is in the process of issuing the new Flora and Fauna-series. At the end of last year the frontsides of the new 20-, 50-, 100- and 1,000-pesos notes were shown on a website. I made the remark then that they looked a bit too saturated and the final notes would be toned down a bit in color. 

On 3 October 2017 the 20-peso note has been issued and it seems my feeling was correct because it looks more 'real' and less like 'monopoly money' now. The front of the red-colored note shows the image of a Guanaco and flowers. The back shows more flowers, a baby Guanaco, a lake and cloud in Patagonia and a map of the Argentinian sea. 

Steven Zondag 08 Oktober 2017 at 1:00 pm | | news | Geen reacties

The Bahamas issue new 1-dollar note

The Central Bank of the Bahamas has introduced a new 1-dollar note on 27 September 2017. The new note is part of the CRISP Evolution series. The description of the new note from the press release:

"The note is predominantly green, with shades of lilac, grey, burnt orange, and yellow, the banknote measures 156 mm long and 67 mm wide bearing on the front a portrait of Sir Lynden O. Pindling, the series, and the signature of the Governor of the Central Bank of The Bahamas, together with the words "The Central Bank of The Bahamas. These notes are legal tender under the Central Bank of The Bahamas Act 2000 for payment of any amount One Dollar".

  • A watermark of Sir Lynden O. Pindling and numeral $1, 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 Lignum Vitae flower in the center. 
  • The back features a likeness of a Drum Major, in full regalia, leading the Royal Bahamas Police Force's marching band, with the trailing band members adjacent. 
  • The numeral $1 appears in the upper left and lower right corners, while the words "One Dollar" are in the upper right quadrant. 
  • Just below the Drum Major is the Coat-of-Arms of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas along with the words "Central Bank of The Bahamas".

Below images of the new note which I think is very well designed and nailed the tropical island vibe. 

Steven Zondag 08 Oktober 2017 at 12:38 pm | | news | Geen reacties
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Scotland's Clydesdale Bank issues new 10-pound note

On 21 September 2017 the Scottish Clydesdale Bank issued its new 10-pound banknote which was announced in January 2016. The new note is made of polymer and features the image of poet Robert Burns. The back of the note show views of Edinburgh, including the castle. 

The Clydesdale Bank introduces around £400m worth of new notes every year and is the largest issuer by volume of notes in Scotland.

Steven Donderdag 28 September 2017 at 9:55 pm | | news | Geen reacties
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