Lebanon issues new 10,000 livres note

The Central Bank of Lebanon has issued a new 10,000 livres banknote on 25 September 2013. The front shows geometric shapes and the back a statue in Martyrs’ Square, Beirut. The colours really stand out with bright yellow, orange and green.

Steven Friday 27 September 2013 at 09:54 am | | news | No comments
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Rwanda issues new 500 francs note

In May of this year Rwanda announced it would issue a new and improved 500 francs banknote. According to the press release of 20 September by the Central Bank it has done just that. The date of issue on the note is 1-1-2013. Other features are the new colour (blue instead of the old green), three cows on the front and four young students with computers on the back. The latter probably being a reference to the One Laptop Per Child project which has proven to be successful in Rwanda.

The new banknote will be used along with the old ones in circulation.

"Picture from banknotenews.com"

Steven Thursday 26 September 2013 at 08:25 am | | news | No comments
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Poland presents banknotes with new security features

In April of this year Poland announced it would issue updated banknotes in 2014. The new banknotes will have (translation) updated security features and will be clearly distinguishable from the current series (even though the rest of the design elements will remain the same). Only the banknotes with denominations of 10, 20, 50 and 100 zlotych will be updated. The 200 zlotych note will remain the same for the time being. The new series (translation) will be issued in April 2014.

10 zlotych

20 zlotych

50 zlotych

100 zlotych

Steven Wednesday 25 September 2013 at 08:24 am | | news | No comments
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Iceland presents new 10,000 krona (updated)

We already knew who and what would be on the new banknote of 10,000 krona from Iceland, but today it will be (translation) officially presented by the Central Bank. Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807-1845), natural scientist and poet will appear on the front of the note as well as the Eurasian golden plover on the back. Jonas Hallgrimsson was interested in the plover and mentioned her in some of his poems.

Graphic designer and artist Kristín Þorkelsdóttir developed the new banknote. It will be unveiled on the website of the Central Bank at 16:00 local time today.

Picture from banknotenews.com
Picture from banknotenews.com

Update:

The new note will be issued from 24 October 2013. The new security features (translation) and the new note itself (small picture):

Steven Wednesday 25 September 2013 at 08:09 am | | news | No comments
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Venezuela denies plans for Chavez banknote

The Central Bank of Venezuela (Banco Central de Venezuela) has denied that it has plans to issue new 500 bolívares banknotes with the portrait of late president Hugo Chávez.

Since the current highest denomination of 100 bolívares is only worth about $2.40 and considering the hyperinflation in the country there is a clear call for banknotes with higher denominations. The director of the Central Bank Armando Leon told the media (translation) there are also no plans to introduce a 200 bolívar note soon.

Steven Thursday 19 September 2013 at 08:29 am | | news | No comments
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Nepal introduces new 100 rupee banknote

The Central Bank of Nepal (Nepal Rastra Bankintroduces a new 100 rupee banknote. The central bank said that the note has been already circulated in the market and it will be accessible during the Dashain festival in October. The new banknote will have a picture of the Ashoka Pillar, along with the message that Buddha was born in Lumbini on the front. This sparks a bit of controversy with neighboring country India since both countries claim to have the birthplace of Buddha within their borders. 

The note has a black dot on the front, which will help visibly disadvantaged to recognize the note. The note also displays the portrait of Mayadevi, Buddha's mother in silver metallic on the front. The new note also will bear the name of the central bank in Latin script, and the date of printing in both Christian Era and Nepali Calendar, Bikram Sambat.

In the present notes, the name of the central bank is printed in Devanagari only, and they do not have the date of printing. The banknotes can only be dated by the tenure of the governor of the central bank whose signature appears on them.

Update 3-10-2013:

I've found a better image on banknotenblog.blogspot.de.

Steven Sunday 15 September 2013 at 09:41 am | | news | No comments
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Bank of England explores polymer banknotes

The Bank of England is to hold a public consultation on the introduction of polymer banknotes in England. This introduction could already take place in 2016 with the new 5 pound note featuring ChurchillConsultations will be held across the UK over the next two months and a final decision on the new notes will be announced in December of this year.

Below are examples of the protoypes of the new notes. Looking at this great design, I say: go for it! 


Steven Sunday 15 September 2013 at 09:31 am | | news | No comments

Lebanon issues new 5000 livre note

Lebanon has apparently issued a new 5000 livre banknote. This news can't be found anywhere on the site of the Central Bank of Lebanon (Banque du Liban) at this moment but has been reported on several sites.

The pictures below are from banknotenews.com.

Steven Wednesday 04 September 2013 at 08:58 am | | news | No comments
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Mauritius issues first polymer banknotes

On 22 August 2013 the Bank of Mauritius has issued its first polymer banknotes in denominations of 25, 50 and 500 rupees as was announced in May of this year. The new notes have been printed by De la Rue and will circulate side by side with the old paper banknotes.

Here are the images of the new banknotes. The yellow lines don't belong there but because there are no official hi-res images yet, I've cut these from the information poster provided by the bank.



Steven Saturday 24 August 2013 at 9:02 pm | | news | No comments
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Northern Ireland introduces updated banknotes

As reported earlier this week, the Bank of Ireland UK has introduced four new banknotes of £5, £10, £20 and £50 denominations. 

The new notes are dated 1st January 2013 and the signature on the new note is Stephen Matchett, Chief Financial Officer.


Steven Saturday 24 August 2013 at 8:51 pm | | news | No comments
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Northern Ireland to announce new banknotes

The Bank of Ireland UK is set to introduce new banknotes this week with updated security features. The notes, in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50, will look similar to current banknotes but there will be a number of differences including the introduction of a hologram dual image for £10 and £20 banknotes and a dual image and filigree for the £50 note.

The £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes will also see the introduction of a wider security thread and there will be electrotype in the watermark in the form of Bank of Ireland chevrons. The new notes are dated 1st January 2013 and the signature on the new note is Stephen Matchett, Chief Financial Officer.

Steven Thursday 22 August 2013 at 1:40 pm | | news | No comments

Kenya ready to present new banknotes

According to the Standard Digital News Kenya is ready to present the new banknotes this week which will be issued in February 2015.

Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia said that this was after cabinet last week approved the move to have the Central Bank launch the new notes. Kimemia said that the notes will depict the Kenyan tourism, economic engagements, culture and tourism. "The new notes will portray the true image of Kenya and our cultural, economic engagements and will be flagged out this week," he said. He notes that the relevant pictures have already been approved and Central Bank given a go ahead to use them.

The constitution demands that new currency notes be in circulation by February 2015 and they will range from 10 shilling to 1000 shiling. Kenya's current constitution is against the use of an individual's image on money. Article 231(4) of the constitution states that notes and coins issued by the CBK may bear images that depict or symbolize an aspect of Kenya but shall not bear any individual's portrait.

"This will be a land mark for this country as we want to have a currency that portrays the real image of the country. It will also be a chance to market the country since they will have pictures of our economic activities and the wildlife that we have," Kimemia said. Despite the introduction of the new look currency, the old currency in use before the new law was implemented will still be used as legal tender.

Update 16 January 2014:  here's an article describing all the problems that have risen between De la Rue and the Kenyan government. The best scenario is still February 2015 for the new banknotes but it could also be January 2016 if things don't go as planned.

Steven Tuesday 20 August 2013 at 10:09 am | | news | No comments
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No new banknotes for Azerbaijan in 2014 (apparently)

The Armenian website Panorama reports that in 2014 Azerbaijan will issue new banknotes with a new design.

According to this news the new faces for these banknotes would be:

  • 1 manat: Uzeira Gajibekova (composer)
  • 5 manat - Nizami Ganjevi (poet)
  • 10 manat banknote - Zeinalabdin Tagiyev (millionaire and sponsor)
  • 20 manat - Molla Panakh Vagif (poet)
  • 50 manat - Yusif Mamedaliyev (chemist)
  • 100 manat - Heydar Aliyev (former president)

In an offical statement the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) has dismissed these rumours however as false. Here are pictures of the fake design:

Steven Friday 16 August 2013 at 10:31 am | | news | No comments
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US government has to burn $3 billion in faulty banknotes

The problems with the new US 100 dollar bill aren't over yet. Some of the new notes have had too much ink in the printing process resulting in blurred images. Because these notes were already mixed with the proper ones, the only solution was to destroy the whole batch. A batch worth 3 billion dollar...

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing still thinks that the October release is possible for the new banknote.

Steven Friday 16 August 2013 at 10:06 am | | news | No comments
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Israel delays new banknotes

The Bank of Israel has announced that the two new banknotes of 50 and 200 NIS which were presented in April 2013 and were scheduled to be released in the 2nd half of 2013, will be delayed until the 2nd half of 2014. The other two new banknotes of 20 and 100 NIS will follow a few months afterwards. The delay is probably caused by problems in the production process judging by the language in the press release.

Update 16 May 2014: according to an article in the Globes, the 50 NIS will be issued in September 2014.

Update 24 November 2015: the new 200 NIS will be issued in December 2015 according to this press release.

50 NIS

200 NIS

Steven Thursday 08 August 2013 at 08:55 am | | news | No comments
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