The Bank of Guatemala has issued a new 20-quetzal note which has basically the same design as the existing note but now also has an OVI element on the front, a scroll which changes from purple to gold if you tilt the note.
The back of the note shows a beautiful painting by Rafael Beltranena: Signing of the Central America declaration of independence on September 15, 1821.
After some delays the first new banknotes in Venezuela have finally entered circulation. These new notes have been issued by the Central Bank of Venezuela in an attempt to deal with the hyperinflation that has crippled the country's economy. Inflation in Venezuela is expected to reach 1,600% this year...
There was mayhem in Venezuela mid-December when President Maduro suddenly announced that the 100-bolivares notes would be removed from circulation. The reason was to stop the assumed hoarding of 100-bolivares notes by criminal groups. Venezuelans quickly had to exchange their banknotes, but banks refused to accept them because they had no larger denominations in exchange. There was looting in the streets and burning of the 100-bolivares notes, because people believed they had become worthless pieces of paper. Because of the chaos President Maduro was forced to allow the 100-bolivares notes to remain in circulation.
For now the notes of 500-, 5,000- and 20,000-bolivares have been issued. The other denominations are expected soon. If it will help Venezuela is anybody's guess because the highest denomination of 20,000-bolivares is still only worth about $6 on the black markets.
MRI Bankers' Guide reports a new version of the 5-taka notes from Bangladesh. Apparently the notes with "2016" on it have been changed from a brown color to purple. The name of the bank in the front and back is written in Bengali and other details have been changed.
I can't find anything about this change on the website of the Central Bank of Bangladesh so it's difficult to confirm this news. This should be the new note:
The Central Bank of Bahrain has issued a press release mentioning three updates versions of the 1/2-, 1- and 5-dinar banknotes. The new banknotes get the same treatment as the 10- and 20-dinar notes which were introduced in September 2016.
The press release speaks of "a change in the position and size of the identification feature for the visually impaired. The new feature is a series of short raised lines on the right of the front side of the banknotes, which indicate the value of the note. The BD1/2 has one line, BD1 has two lines and BD5 has three lines."
According to an official notice from the Polish goverment the Narodowi Bank Polski (National Bank of Poland) will issue two new banknotes in 2017 of 10- and 20-zlotych.
The new notes will have the following features:
10-zlotych: dark brown of color, on the front Prince Miesko I and dinar coins on the back. The new note will be 120 x 60 mm, is dated 15 September 2016 and will be introduced 27 February 2017.
Update 25-03-2017: added links and photos.
The Central Bank of Uruguay has issued a revised edition of its 200-pesos note on 29 December 2016. The basic design is is the same as the existing note but with some major changes like a new series, a new date, new signatures and new security features like the denomination as registration device, a holographic windowed security thread, translucent features, a map of Uruguay in optically variable ink (OVI), iridescent stripes and intaglio marks for the sight impaired.
Banknotenews.com reports that the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) has issued a new note of 2,000-kwacha on 19 December 2016. I have to admit I didn't notice this piece of news before but to be honest it's not everyday I read news from Malawi. The new note shows Reverend John Chilembwe on the front. The back shows the Malawi University of Science and Technology in Thyolo District. The theme of the new note is "Social Development (Tertiary Education)".
The first post of this brand new year 2017 is dedicated to you, my dear readers! I wish you all a happy 2017 with lots of good health, good fortune and peace with your loved ones. I also want to thank you all for visiting my site the past year. At the end of a year it's a good time to look back and when I do just that I see lots and lots of people, much more than in previous years!
Besides a record number in visitors I'm also very grateful for all the tips, information and banknotes I received the past year for review purposes or as a gift. It's really great when people invest time and effort in something you happen to like.
Last year was also the first time I wrote articles for the quarterly magazine of the Dutch chapter of the IBNS. I noticed an increase in new Dutch readers so that paid off nicely.
For the coming year I have some small and big plans with my site which need some more planning but I will, of course, keep on writing about banknote news and trivia.
Have a nice day and, as we say in The Netherlands, Gelukkig Nieuwjaar !
On the last day before my holiday I decided to visit the local coin shop. Of course you can get everything online, but there is still something special about a brick-and-mortar store, right? The shop near where I work specializes in coins and stamps but they have a small collection of banknotes, mostly the 1-euro-each toilet paper like notes but I can always find something nice there. In places like that with a big basket full of cheap notes, I especially try to look for visually appealing banknotes. For instance, the back of the 20-korun note below from Czechoslovakia which I think is stunning.
The harvest today:
Last but not least, I also received a very special banknote. This Christmas my family played secret Santa: everybody had to get one present for one other person. My little daughter of 5 had picked me and asked my wife: "Daddy loves banknotes but where does he buy them? I don't know where to get one!" My wife suggested she could make one herself. I think the result is very nice and I will give it a place of honour in my collection!
The National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia has issued the new banknotes of 200- and 2,000-denar on 15 December 2016. The Bank is also withdrawing the 5,000-denar notes. From 15 December 2016 to 28 February 2017 they can be exchanged at commercial banks. From 1 March 2017 the 5,000-denar notes can only be exchanged at the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia.
From the original press release:
"Leitmotif of the obverse of the conceptual, and art and graphic design of the 200 denar banknote is the relief with a presentation of the 41st Psalm of David from the Old Testament, which belongs to the infamous terracotta icons from Vinica, one of the most important early medieval archaeological discoveries on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia. On the same side, in the left center field, there is a presentation of an early medieval bow bronze fibula from the beginning of the VII century, found near Prilep. The reverse of the banknote contains a presentation of an architectural and art element of the frontal facade of the "Colorful (Aladzha) Mosque" in Tetovo, one of the most attractive monuments of architecture and art from the Ottoman period in the Republic of Macedonia, complemented by floral elements taken from the decoration of the marble floor tiles of the famous "Isaac Mosque" in Bitola, built at the beginning of the XVI century.
Leitmotif of the obverse of the conceptual, and art and graphic design of the 2000 denar banknote is the presentation of Macedonian bridal costume from Prilep Field, as an impressive reflection of the richness of the folklore heritage of the Republic of Macedonia. On the same side, in the left center field, there is a presentation of a pendant in the form of a poppy head, which was discovered in Suva Reka, Gevgelia. It is an artifact dated to the VII century BC and belongs to the well-known group of Paionian-Macedonian bronzes. The reverse of the banknote contains a presentation of the decoration of the inside of a gilded vessel, which originates from the XVI century and whose central field shows two affronted peacocks near the "source of life" surrounded by lavish floral decoration."
Designer of the new Swiss banknotes, Manuela Pfrunder, sheds some light on the difficult process of designing new banknotes for Switzerland. A fun read in German or translated by Google in English.
The Banco Central de Paraguay has issued three updated versions of the 20,000-, 50,000 and 100,000-guaranies notes, several sites report. The three denominations have the same overall design as the current notes but have a new security thread, an updated watermark and new UV-features.
Below are examples of the new security thread in the three notes (source).
20,000 guaranies, G-series
50,000 guaranies, I-series
100,000 guaranies, I-series
Russian banknote printer Goznak has issued a statement announcing a commemorative banknote celebrating the World Cup Football which will be held in Russia in 2018. From the site:
"Working upon the design of the commemorative banknote dedicated to the World Cup 2018 is almost accomplished. At the moment, there exist at least six design variants. The matter of printing the banknote on no paper but on an untraditional material for Russia is also being discussed. By the end of the year, all decisions concerning the design and technologies should be taken, so that in the middle of 2017 Goznak could start printing the commemorative banknote dedicated to the World Cup. Arkady Trachuk, General Director of Goznak, has told Izvestia about that and some other aspects of working upon the new banknote.
The 100-rouble commemorative banknote dedicated to the World Cup of 2018 will already be the third of the kind. The commemorative banknote dedicated to the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014 was the first, and the 100-rouble banknote dedicated to the reunion with Crimea issued in 2015 was the second one. The fact that the Central Bank was planning to perpetuate the World Cup of 2018 in a banknote became known at the end of last year."
The new note will either be made from polymer or a composite material but definitely not paper. Printing will start mid-2017 and the note will be issued about 100 days before the event starts on 14 June 2018 so that would make it around 6 March 2018.
Regarding the design of the new note, some details have been mentioned: "We aspire to show both the history of football and its present on the banknote, to emphasize the involvement of the whole country in the World Cup", Mr. Trachuk noted.
Arkady Trachuk also said that the artists of Goznak together with their colleagues from the Bank of Russia continue to work upon the design using the results of an artistic competition the company held with the participation of ten educational institutions from the cities that will host the play-offs, who expressed their wish to take part in the artistic competition (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Saransk, Sochi, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Yekaterinburg). And though nobody won the first place that would guarantee that the design idea would be applied on the banknote in full, design elements offered by the students are now taken into account by the professionals. At least six variants are considered now.
"The artists of Goznak and the Bank of Russia work taking into account the competition results. We are trying to find place for all the cities where the World Cup will take place, on the commemorative banknote. However, we will not be able to depict all the eleven stadiums on the banknote, of course. It is impossible", said Mr. Trachuk.
He informed that the number of 20 million pieces of banknotes was discussed preliminarily. But the decision hasn’t been taken yet.
The colour also remains a mystery. Head of Goznak only noted that it would be a warm pastel shade."
Update 18-5-2018: the new banknotes will be presented at the end of May 2018.
The National Bank of Argentina is issuing the new Flora and Fauna-series. The 200- and 500-pesos notes have already been issued but next year the notes of 20-, 50-, 100- and a new denomination of 1,000-pesos will be introduced.
The website Dia a Dia has pictures of the front of the new notes showing the local animals that will replace the currently pictured heroes. The back of the notes will show the region the animals live in. I'm pretty sure the colors are a bit too saturated in these pictures and the final design will be toned down a few notches.
20 pesos, the Guanaco, Patagonia
50 pesos, the Andean Condor, Andes
100 pesos, the Taruca, Argentine Northwest
1,000 pesos, the Rufous Hornero bird, Center Region
The Bank Negara Malaysia has denied claims circulating on social media that new 1-, 5-, 50- and 100-ringgit banknotes would be issued in 2017.
The Central Bank stated that it "would like to confirm that this news is not true. The current series of banknotes will continue to be legal tender and remain in circulation”.
Picture on the website of the Bank Negara Malaysia:
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