"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."
The People's Bank of China has announced that a new commemorative 100-yuan note will be issued. The beautiful blue note commemorates the Chinese space program. The banknote will be issued from 26 November 2015, measures 155 x 77 mm and 300 million pieces will be printed.
The front of the note depicts the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft docking with the Tiangong 1 space station, which occured on 18 June 2012. To the left we can see the Dongfanghong 1, China's first satellite launched in 1970. On the right side is the Chang'e 1 lunar-orbiting spacecraft. The back of the note shows a sort of ladder with the different stages of flight, starting at the bottom with a bird, above that an early plane by Chinese aviation pioneer Feng Ru. Next we have a fighter jet, then the future Tiangong 3 space station which will be launched in 2020 and at the top we see the Chang'e 1 lunar-orbiting spacecraft again.
I like commemorative banknotes and I love them even more when they have a space theme (check out my space and astronomy notes blog). So this is one I'm definitely getting for my collection!
The Centrale Bank van Suriname has issued a commemorative banknote of 50 dollar commemorating the 55th anniversary of the Central Bank, Banknotenews.com reports. A total of 50,000 notes have been packaged in a folder and sold at a premium of five times the face value of the note. This note is legal tender however most buyers will probably keep it inside the folder for collecting of trading purposes.
The front of the note shows the building of the Central Bank. The back of the note shows a meeting of people, the bank's mission statement and a list of the presidents of the Central Bank.
From the press release: "The redenomination will be carried out by means of substitution of the banknotes in circulation of the 2000 series by the banknotes and coins of the 2009 series in proportion of 10,000 Belarusian rubles of the 2000 series per 1 Belarusian ruble of the 2009 series. (...) A total of seven denominations of banknotes – 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 rubles – and eight denominations of coins – 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 copecks, and 1 and 2 rubles – will be put into circulation beginning on July 1, 2016.
The general concept of the new banknotes design meets the motto "Belarus is my country". Each banknote is dedicated to one of the regions of Belarus and the city of Minsk. The coincidence of the regions and the banknotes denominations was determined in alphabetical order. The design of the banknote of 5 ruble denomination is dedicated to Brest region, 10 rubles – to Vitebsk region, 20 rubles – to Gomel region, 50 rubles – to Grodno region, 100 rubles – to Minsk region, 200 rubles – to Mogilev region, and 500 rubles – to the city of Minsk. The design of new banknotes of the 2009 series maintains continuity of the line of banknotes of the 2000 series as to the use of images of the architectural and urban monuments.
The currently circulating banknotes of the 2000 series will be the sole legal tender for making cash settlements in the Republic of Belarus till July 1, 2016.
From July 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016, the banknotes of the 2000 series and the banknotes and coins of the 2009 series will be in parallel circulation and subject to obligatory acceptance without restriction in all kinds of payments performed by all economic entities.
During the next five years – from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2021 – the currency units of the 2000 series will be exchanged for the currency units of the 2009 series in any sum without restriction and charging commission.
It is worth mentioning that preparations for the redenomination in the Republic of Belarus were under way during a fairly long period. For example, new currency units that will be put into circulation beginning on July 1, 2016 have been printed by order of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus as early as 2008. However, at that time the redenomination was postponed due to the global economic crisis and, as a consequence, deteriorating economic situation in our country, whereas printed currency units were transferred to the National Bank’s Central Vault.
Taking into account the time of printing, new Belarusian rubles feature certain peculiarities. In particular, banknotes of 2009 series that are put into circulation bear the facsimile of Petr P. Prokopovich’s signature, the then Chairman of the Board of the National Bank. Also, the new fifty-ruble note carries an inscription which is inconsistent with currently applicable Belarusian spelling rules. (...)
The above-mentioned inconsistencies will be removed as the National Bank will place further orders to print new banknotes."
This is the third redenomination in Belarus. The Belarusian ruble was redenominated on 20 August 1994, with one new unit equaling 10 old ones, and the second time it lost three zeros on 1 January 2000. As some may recall in 2014 there was a mention of the redenominated banknotes looking a lot like euro banknotes. Well, I don't know about you but the 5-ruble note for instance does look an awful lot like the new 10-euro note, doens't it? And the 10-ruble looks a bit like like the new 20-euro note, right?
Below are the new banknotes in all their glory:
5 ruble. Front: Belaya Vezha (the Tower of Kamenets) in the town of Kamenets, Brest Region. Back: the collage devoted to first Slavic settlements (a leather belt fragment, a wooden wheel, and a picture of "Berestie" ancient stronghold).
10 ruble. Front: the church of the Savior and Transfiguration in the town of Polotsk, Vitebsk Region. Back: the collage devoted to enlightenment and printing (books, the Cross of Euphrosyne of Polotsk, and an ornamental pattern fragment).
20 ruble. Front: The Rumyantsev-Paskevich palace in the town of Gomel. Back: the collage devoted to spirituality (a bell, the Turov Gospel, ancient town of Turov, and fragments of carving).
50 ruble. Front: the Castle of Mir in the settlement of Mir, Grodno Region. Back: the collage devoted to art (a lyre and laurel twigs, a quill pen, a sheet of paper, and a stave).
100 ruble. Front: the Radziwills' castle in the town of Nesvizh, Minsk Region. Back: the collage devoted to the theatre and folk festivals (a violin, a tambourine, a zhaleyka woodwind instrument , the belts of Slutsk , and the symbols of folk festivals such as the "Kalyady's star", a she-goat, and "Batleyka" folk puppet theatre).
200 ruble. Front: Mogilev Regional Art Museum named after P. Maslennikov, in the town of Mogilev. Back: the collage devoted to handicraft and urban construction (the golden key and the seal of the town of Mogilev, a glazed tile (a stove tile), and fragments of the wrought iron lattice)
500 ruble. Front: National Library of the Republic of Belarus in the city of Minsk. Back: the collage devoted to literature (a quill pen, an inkwell, book covers, and a fern leaf
The National Bank of Georgia has announced it will gradually issue three new banknotes in 2016. The 20-, 50- and 100-lari notes will be printed by De La Rue from England, Giesecke & Devrient from Germany and Oberthur Fiduciare from France. Quite interesting to have three separate printers for your notes. I wonder if that won't create a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy. It's unknown at this moment which printer is responsible for which note.
Update 14-01-2016: the new notes of 20- and 50-lari will be issued in February 2016 followed by the 100-lari note later this year. The 5- and 10-lari notes will be replaced at a later date.
Update 26-09-2016: the new 100-lari note will be issued on 1 November 2016.
The new notes in more detail:
20 lari. Size of banknote: 66 x 132 mm, color: magenta. Front: The portrait of the great Georgian writer and public figure Ilia Chavchavadze (1837-1907) with lettering of his name in Georgian. The newspaper "Iveria" publishing-house. The magazine "Sakartvelos Moambe" and newspaper "Iveria" established by Ilia, Ilia’s signature and his personal things – the lens, watch, pen and inkpot. The denomination numerals, letterings in Georgian and in English, 'NATIONAL BANK OF GEORGIA', 'Twenty Lari', the signature of the president of the National Bank of Georgia, the issue date '2016' and the serial number composed of two Roman letters and eight Arabic numerals. Back: a panorama of old Tbilisi, a 17th century plan of Tbilisi city created by Vakhushti Batonishvili’s in 1735, the monument of the great Georgian king Vakhtang Gorgasali adjacent to the Metekhi church, the coat of arms of Georgia and denomination numerals and letterings in Georgian and in English.
50 lari. Size of banknote: 68 x 137 mm, color: green. Front: the portrait of Georgian King Tamar with lettering in Georgian, a 12th to 13th century monasterial complex in cave "Vardzia", the bas-relief from the Pitareti Virgin Mary Monastery from the 13th century. The denomination numerals, letterings in Georgian and in English, the signature of the president of the National Bank of Georgia, the issue date '2016' and the serial number composed of two Roman letters and eight Arabic numeral. Back: a miniature of the Zodiac sign 'Sagittarius', the manuscript from a 12th century script collection, the coat of arms of Georgia and the denomination numerals and letterings in Georgian and in English.
100 lari. Size of banknote: 70 x 142 mm, color: violet. Front: a portrait of the great Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli with lettering in Georgian, an illustration from the great poem 'The Knight in the Tiger Skin', one of the pages of its original prints and one of the ornaments from its original manuscript, a 7th century bas-relief of 'Daniel in the Den of Lions' from Martvili Cathedral of Assumption of the Virgin Mary The denomination numerals, letterings in Georgian and in English, 'NATIONAL BANK OF GEORGIA', 'One Hundred Lari', the signature of the president of the National Bank of Georgia, the issue date '2016' and the serial number composed of two Roman letters and eight Arabic numerals. Back: the Zakaria Paliashvili’s National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet a fragment from the score of the Georgian national anthem, the coat of arms of Georgia and the denomination numerals, letterings in Georgian and in English.
Well, don't they sound like a very patriotic threesome? I'm sure the design of these notes has something to do with the continuing tensions in the region between Georgia and neighboring Russia. The notes almost scream: we are Georgia and we are proud of our nation and history. And why not indeed? Below is a video showing the new notes.
And now for something really nice. The Maldives Monetary Authority has published the new designs of the new banknote series and boy are they nice! The six new notes which are made of polymer have beautiful colors, aquarell-style paintings on the front and nicely-shaped see-through windows. The issue-date for this new series is unknown at this moment but is likely delayed because of the recent political problems.
Update 26 January 2016: the new series has been issued today according to this press release.
The designs in more detail:
10 rufiyaa - 'Our culture'. Color: Golden yellow. Background Pattern of note: Pattern made using designs on the traditional drum (Boduberu). Front:Toddy tapper (Ruh’ erun), group of men and women engaged in playing traditional music (Boduberu), a coconut bunch (Dhondhamburu ruku ihaleh). Back:The oldest drum displayed in the National museum (Boduberu)
20 rufiyaa - 'Our industrial and economic progress'. Color: Purple. Background pattern of note: A line pattern representing the aerial view of islands and reefs in Maldives. Front: a fisherman carrying a skipjack tuna and a yellow fin tuna, the main airport in Maldives Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, an image of the Cyprea Moneta (Cowry shell). Back: a traditional sail boat (Dhoni).
50 rufiyaa - 'Our unity, and Islamic values'. Color: Green. Background pattern of note: Pattern made from stone carvings in the Friday Mosque (Hukuru Miskiy). Front: a boy reciting the Holy Quran, activity of pulling boats from the beach onto the water (Dhoni beylun). Back: the minaret of the Friday Mosque (Hukuru Miskiy).
100 rufiyaa - 'Nationalism and our native language'. Color: Red. Background pattern of note: pattern made using old Dhivehi alphabet Dives akuru. Front: woman in one of the Maldivian traditional dresses (Libaas), working on the neckline threading (Hiru) of a similar dress, group of locals in traditional attire. Back: the early Dhivehi scripture Dambidu Lomafanu.
500 rufiyaa - 'Our ancestral craftsmanship'. Color: Orange. Background pattern of note: pattern called Kuribontaa found on traditional hand weaved mats made out of hay (Thun’du kunaa). Front: the act of wood carving, wood worker fashioning an intricate design using mallet and chisel, woman making ekels (Iloshi), traditionally used to make brooms (Iloshi fathii). Back: traditional hand carved vase with lacquer work detailing.
1,000 rufiyaa - 'The beauty in our surrounding'. Color: Blue. Background pattern of note: pale yellow spot and striped pattern on the skin of whale sharks. Front: green turtle (Chelonia mydas), a representation of a luxury resort, manta rays (Manta alfredi), Corals. Back: whale shark (Rhincodon typus).
Size of the notes: 150 x 70 mm. Signature on the note: Governor Dr. Azeema Adam. Date on the note: 22 Zul’hijja 1436, 5 October 2015. Serial Number: prefix of vertical serial number is in Dhivehi and prefix of horizontal serial number is in English.
It was expected earlier this year but the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran has finally released the new commemorative 50,000-rial banknote. The note features the familiar portrait of ayatollah Khomeini on the front which we've seen on other notes from Iran.
The back is more interesting I think. It shows a tree next to the entrance to Teheran University. In the back we can make out the famous double-helix structure of DNA. The poem reads: "Capable is / the one who is wise / Knowledge makes / the old heart young" by Ferdowsi and we see the planet Saturn. I like this theme very much and I think it makes for a nice contrast between a religious leader on the front and the celebration of knowledge and science on the back.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP: the Central Bank of the Philippines) has plans to change the appearance of the 100-piso bill because there were complaints about the color which makes it look too much like the 1,000-piso bill, especially in the dark. The new 100-piso note will get a different shade of bluish-grey, instead of the current mauve (that's #E0B0FF for all you HEX-fans out there).
The first notes with the new color are expected to be released in January 2016. Below a picture which shows the two current notes together.
At a recent auction in Zürich, Switzerland, a record was set for the most expensive banknote from The Netherlands in history, as Coinweek reports. Being Dutch myself, this of course is fascinating to me. Previously the most expensive banknote was a 200-gulden note from 1860 which sold for €44,280 in 2013.
The new record holder is a 100-gulden note from 1914 which has skyrocketed to $96,325 (about €87,357). The buyer was Amsterdam dealer Theo Peters, who said he was "pleased with the note and of its quality". Some interesting history on the note, from Coinweek:
Patrick Plomp, dealer, researcher and author of the Catalog of Netherlands Paper Money, 1573–2002 (2014, www.patrickp.nl), knows of only two other examples, both in the collection of De Nederlandse Bank, the Dutch central bank. One is a specimen issue with serial number 00000, the other a perforated canceled note with number 75204, making the Sincona piece the only known example not turned in and destroyed.
Het Nederlandse Bankbiljet 1814-2002 vormgeving en ontwikkeling (“The Dutch Banknote 1814-2002 Design and Development”), second edition by J. Bolten, P.J. Soetens, J.J. Grolle, and P. Koeze, sheds light on this rare and important piece of financial history for Netherlands. It was an emergency note issued on Aug. 4, 1914, designed and printed by Joh. Enschedé en Zonen in Haarlem, the security printing firm that still prints euro bank notes for Netherlands today. The archives of the Dutch National Bank report a production of 100,000 pieces with series NB, and 50,000 with series NC notes. The 1,000-gulden note was also produced and issued, but records show all were accounted for when they were taken out of circulation and canceled on March 27, 1923. Also, 300- and 200-gulden notes were created but not issued.
The 100-gulden note was revoked by royal decision 43, dated May 10, 1928, and the official recall notice was issued on May 29, 1928. The actual out-of-circulation date was May 25, 1929, after which it was no longer possible to convert it to new money. On May 30, 1939, 10 notes were still outstanding. As they were not returned, they were written off the books and their value added to the profit of the central bank.
The National Bank of Rwanda has issued a new banknote of 1,000 francs. The new note looks pretty much the same as the current version accept for improved security and the absence of any french words. The only two languages on the note are english and kinyarwanda which is interesting because to my knowledge french is still the third official language of Rwanda.
The characteristics of the new note as described in the official announcement (pdf-alert!):
Size: 140 mm x 72 mm Watermark: Coat of arms of the Republic of Rwanda and an electrotype representing the logo "BNR" below it Dominant Colour: Blue
1. Front a) Wording - "BANKI NKURU Y'U RWANDA" printed on the upper part; - "AMAFARANGA IGIHUMBI" printed in the lower part; - "Iyi noti yemewe n'amategeko" printed below the words "BANKI NKURU Y'U RWANDA" b) Other characteristics - The Principal design: The National Museum of Rwanda - The face value of the note is written horizontally in each corner except on the upper right corner; - The transparent image of the number "1000" below words "IYI NOTI YEMEWE N'AMATEGEKO" depending on the disposition of the note; - The date of issue between the Governor's signature and Vice Governor's signature; - Serial number of the note printed horizontally in black color in the upper right corner and vertically on the left side; - A hexagonal picture with an image of a flying dove inside shifting to words "BNR" depending on the disposition of the note; - On the front of one thousand francs banknote, there is an image of a flying dove changing colour from dark green to blue depending on position from green to blue and a bright ring seen on a circular movement; - The invisible fibres scattered on each side of the note fluorescent under ultraviolet light; - The date of issue of the note: 01.05.2015.
2. Back a) Wording - "NATIONAL BANK OF RWANDA" printed on the upper part; - "THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER" printed under the words "NATIONAL BANK OF RWANDA" - "ONE THOUSAND FRANCS" printed just under the words "THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER"
b) Other characteristics - Golden monkey in the Volcano National Park; - The face value of the note written horizontally in all corners of the banknote; - The transparent image on the note in upper right composed by reversed number of "1000" depending on the disposition of the note - A windowed security thread in which the micro text reads "BNR" and the number "1000" changes colour red to green, located on the left side of the note.
The Sociedad de Estado Casa de Moneda de la Nacion has announced the design of the new Argentinian 20-peso note. The banknotes in Argentina are currently being redesigned and we already have seen the new 5- and 10-peso notes. Below are two pictures of the front and back of the new note. The front is from MRI Bankers' guide and the back is a still from the video at the bottom.
I'm pretty excited about the back of the new 20-peso note because even in this low quality image taken from the video it still looks amazing!
Say what you will about Australia but they can play one hell of a game of rugby and they like to have some fun. And when it comes to fun their banknotes are no exception. Last week a petition started to change the denomination of the current Australian dollar to 'dollarydoos', which is a reference to the Simpsons cartoon. Right now almost 50,000 people have signed the petition. While it will never happen, it sure sounds great!
Another Australian artist has taken a much more serious approach to a new series of banknotes. Well, serious, more professional is perhaps a better word. Unsatisfied with the people represented on the current banknotes (because who knows who they are anymore?) Melbourne artist Aaron Tyler decided to design some new banknotes with images and faces every Australian who lives right now will recognize. So the whole set has become a interesting who's-who for 'Straylian' (pop)culture. Steve Irwin and Dame Edna on a banknote: brilliant!
The Banco Central de Nicaragua has announced that from 26 October 2015 a new series of banknotes will be issued to the public. The denominations of 10-, 20-, 50-, 100- and 200-córdobas will be printed on polymer. The 500-córdobas note will be printed on a cotton paper substrate. The existing notes will circulate together with the new notes and will gradually be replaced.
I'm curious what the new notes will look like in real life because the images look pretty nice! I especially like the way they have incorporated the see-through panel in the themes on the different notes. The images below are from banknotenews.com.
The Bank of Scotland has unveiled its first polymer note today. This is a special (very) limited edition of just 50 notes which will be put up for auction in December at Spink's. The proceeds will go to BBC Children in Need. The notes feature an image of the charity’s mascot Pudsey Bear, made by then 12-year old Kayla Robson. The first 40 notes will have serial numbers beginning with PUDSEY01 to PUDSEY40. The remaining 10 banknotes will be available for personalised serial numbers, such as initials and date of birth.
At the end of the year the design for the new circulating 5-pound note will be unveiled (which will be similar to the current paper note) while the issue date will be the second half of 2016. The new note will be 125 x 66 mm in size, slightly smaller than the current 135 x 70 mm 5-pound note. It won't be until 2017 when we see the new 10-pound printed on polymer.
The current paper 5- an 10-pound notes will be gradually withdrawn from circulation.
The Central Bank of Namibia has announced that 10- and 20-namibia dollars with a modified design will be issued from 20 October 2015, according to The Namibian.
Making the announcement in Windhoek yesterday, Bank of Namibia's director of strategic communications and financial sector development Ndangi Katoma said the new bank notes will not have the diamond shape security feature which appears on the 2012 series and the improved 2013 versions. He said the removal of the security feature is in line with the bank's philosophy of continuous improvement and cost effectiveness through regular reviews of currency production. Katoma said the other three security features - the water mark, the (relief) raised print and the security thread - will remain on the new notes. The existing N$10 and N$20 notes will still remain in circulation with the new notes. “We realised that we have too many security features on those low value notes,” Katoma said, adding that removing the diamond security feature saves the central bank money without compromising the security of the notes. - See more at: http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=32488&page_type=story_detail&category_id=1#sthash.3qhIFQxl.dpuf
Making the announcement in Windhoek yesterday, Bank of Namibia's director of strategic communications and financial sector development Ndangi Katoma said the new bank notes will not have the diamond shape security feature which appears on the 2012 series and the improved 2013 versions. He said the removal of the security feature is in line with the bank's philosophy of continuous improvement and cost effectiveness through regular reviews of currency production. Katoma said the other three security features - the water mark, the (relief) raised print and the security thread - will remain on the new notes. The existing N$10 and N$20 notes will still remain in circulation with the new notes. “We realised that we have too many security features on those low value notes,” Katoma said, adding that removing the diamond security feature saves the central bank money without compromising the security of the notes. - See more at: http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=32488&page_type=story_detail&category_id=1#sthash.3qhIFQxl.dpuf
Making the announcement in Windhoek yesterday, Bank of Namibia's director of strategic communications and financial sector development Ndangi Katoma said the new bank notes will not have the diamond shape security feature which appears on the 2012 series and the improved 2013 versions.
He said the removal of the security feature is in line with the bank's philosophy of continuous improvement and cost effectiveness through regular reviews of currency production. Katoma said the other three security features - the water mark, the (relief) raised print and the security thread - will remain on the new notes. The existing N$10 and N$20 notes will still remain in circulation with the new notes.
“We realised that we have too many security features on those low value notes,” Katoma said, adding that removing the diamond security feature saves the central bank money without compromising the security of the notes.
Update 9-10-2015: the image below shows the differences between the old and new notes.
Update 21-10-2015: here is a picture of the new 10-dollar note. It looks... naked.
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MRI Bankers' Guide reports that the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia is still going to issue the new denominations of 200 and 2,000 denara. The new note were announced in November 2014 but won't be in the Macedonian wallets until the end of 2016. The National Bank held a competition for the design of the notes. From the press release:
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Say what you will about Australia but they can play one hell of a game of rugby and they like to have some fun. And when it comes to fun their banknotes are no exception. Last week a 
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