Guyana to introduce 5000 dollar notes

Guyana decided last year that a new banknote of 5000 dollar would be introduced. Currently the highest denomination is the 1000 dollar note. MRI now reports that this new 5000 dollar note will be introduced in December 2013. No word yet on the design for this new note.

Steven Tuesday 25 June 2013 at 12:20 pm | | news | No comments
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Northern Ireland begins circulating new banknotes

From the BBC: "New bank-notes are going into circulation in Northern Ireland. The £10 and £20 notes will be issued from Danske Bank cash machines and branches, and will gradually replace existing Northern Bank notes. The only change on the notes is the replacement of the Northern Bank logo with the Danske Bank logo. Northern Bank rebranded as Danske Bank, the name of its parent bank, in November 2012.

The public can still use Northern Bank notes, which will remain in circulation for several years.Gerry Mallon, head of Danske Bank UK and Ireland, said: "As the new bank-notes will be very similar to the Northern Bank notes, they will look familiar to consumers and retailers. "Although the existing Northern Bank notes will gradually be withdrawn from circulation, they can of course continue to be used in the usual way and will be accepted in retail outlets."

Danske Bank does not print its own £5 notes and the bank is also to stop printing its own £50 and £100 notes. Bank of England notes will be issued instead."

10 pound

20 pound

Steven Tuesday 25 June 2013 at 09:22 am | | news | No comments
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Jack Lew's official new signature

Remember Jack Lew, the current Secretary of the Treasury of the United States and his funny signature? I already wrote about his new signature in May, but now the Treasury Department confirmed the news on Twitter yesterday.

So here it is, the signature of Jack Lew as it wil appear on U.S. currency starting this fall.

Steven Wednesday 19 June 2013 at 09:06 am | | news | No comments
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New 5000 rial for Iran

Banknotenews reports that Iran plans to issue a new 5000 rial banknote. Earlier this year we already had the news that larger denominations were on the way but this was never followed by an exact date or more information.

Now this Persian site (google translate) mentions a new 5000 rial banknote is on the way. They even have pictures of the new note. Does this mean the larger denominations will finally be issued for real? We'll have to wait and see I guess.

Steven Wednesday 12 June 2013 at 12:51 pm | | news | No comments
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Kuwait set to issue new banknote series

According to the Kuwait News Agency, the Central Bank of Kuwait has decided to issue a new series of banknotes. This will be the sixth series since the introduction of the Kuwait Dinar in 1961. The new series will have updated hallmarks, security features and paper quality. Preparations for production have begun and they are expected to be issued within a year. The new notes will circulate alongside the current series which will gradually be withdrawn from the market.

Steven Tuesday 11 June 2013 at 08:01 am | | news | No comments
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New banknotes Barbados issued

The new notes of Barbados have been put into circulation on 4 June 2013. The new series has a modernised look and of course updated security features.

The new notes were presented at the beginning of May 2013. For more info and all the images of the new notes, check out my original post.

Steven Friday 07 June 2013 at 08:50 am | | news | No comments
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Mauritius switches to polymer banknotes

The Bank of Mauritius will soon issue banknotes plastic, specifically polypropylene. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Xavier-Luc Duval, on his Facebook page. Two million notes of 500 rupees will be issued in plastic. The number of notes of 25 and 50 rupees, which will also be issued, has not yet been decided at this stage. The exact issue date is unknown at this time.

Source

Steven Wednesday 29 May 2013 at 08:17 am | | news | No comments
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Malawi cancels old kwacha series

The Nyasa Times reports that Malawi has cancelled the old series which were issued prior to the current kwacha series. On 23 May 2012 the Reserve Bank of Malawi introduced a new series consisting of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 kwacha. The people of Malawi have until 2 August 2013 to exchange their old banknotes for the new ones. 

The old 500 kwacha:

Steven Saturday 25 May 2013 at 3:22 pm | | news | No comments
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200 gulden banknote sold for €44,280

At an auction by MPO a Dutch 200 gulden banknote from 1908 was sold for €44,280 which makes it the most expensive Dutch banknote ever. The banknote was bought by the De Ruiter family, who have a shop in stamps, coins and banknotes and who can be found at verzamelaarsmarkt.nl

The banknote measures 120 x 220 mm and was issued in 10 varieties. About 2 million were issued between 1860 and 1920. But only 20 now remain! What makes this one special is the signature of J.G.N. de Hoop Scheffer of De Nederlandsche Bank. This is the only surviving specimen of the 200 gulden banknote with that particular signature.

Steven Friday 17 May 2013 at 11:28 am | | news | No comments
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Cambodia to issue new 100,000 riel banknote

The NZweek reports that Cambodia is set to issue a new 100,000 riel banknote commemorating the 60th birthday of king Norodom Sihamoni on 14 May 2013. The news report is from 8 May 2013 so the banknote is probably already issued.

"The new bill will be officially issued in the next couple of days," Nguon Sokha, director general of the National Bank of Cambodia, told Xinhua over telephone.

A sub-decree on the issuance of the new 100,000-riel banknote was signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on April 30. The 100,000-riel bill is the country’s highest riel value banknote.

According to its model, the bill displays the portraits of late King Father Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath on the obverse and the pictures of the two monarchs and their current King Norodom Sihamoni on the reverse.


Steven Thursday 16 May 2013 at 08:02 am | | news | No comments
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Rwanda to issue improved 500 francs banknote

The website AllAfrica.com reports:

The Rwf500 note will be replaced with a better and improved version to make it usable in Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

The Cabinet was presented with a draft Presidential Order requesting for approval to issue the new Rwf500 note, which is "consistent with the vision of our country," finance ministry officials said.

"The approval of the Presidential Order will help to circulate a new Rwf500 note, which will have new features that are consistent with the vision of our country," Pichette Kampeta Sayinzoga, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance said during a press conference last week.

"In this particular case, some of the principal features of the new note will be three exotic cows in the front face to reflect the government's effort to eradicate malnutrition, while on the back face, there will be four young students working with computers to reflect the government's efforts to promote education and technology."

The National Bank of Rwanda vice-governor, Monique Nsanzabaganwa, told Business Times that the new note is expected to be issued by the end of this year after its features have been published in the official Gazette.

The current 500 francs note:

© banknoteworld.com

© banknoteworld.com

Steven Wednesday 15 May 2013 at 4:03 pm | | news | No comments
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Wanted: the new 5 euro (preferably alive)

Remember the new 5 euro banknote (and my first attempt to get one)? The one that was introduced into the eurozone 2 May 2013? I still haven't been able to get one through the usual channels like banks and shops. But it seems I'm not the only one: I've seen several articles on this issue. Just this weekend I was in Belgium and since I'd read that ATM machines in Belgium issue 5 euro notes (in contrast to the Netherlands where they only issue a minimum of 10 euro notes), I tried my luck at several machines. No luck there: only 20 euro banknotes. I then asked in numerous shops and at gas pumps if they happened to have the new note. The reactions I got were priceless: we also haven't seen the note, we have no idea what it looks like etc.

The best reaction however (and the one which pointed out a likely explanation for this lack of notes at shops) I got at the gas pump in my own neighborhood. The employee said they almost had a new 5 euro the day before but they refused to accept it because the couterfeit detection devices didn't recognize it as a valid banknote. All our money is based on trust because it has no intrinsic value. Trust that the piece of 'paper' you're holding is worth 5 euro. But if the new 5 euro is rejected everywhere it's value is basically 0 euro.

I wonder what that will do to the already very shaken confidence in the euro system?

© European Central Bank

Steven Tuesday 14 May 2013 at 08:34 am | | news | No comments
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Mexico issues revised 50 peso note

The Banco de Mexico has introduced a revised banknote of 50 peso on 6 May 2013, which includes new security measures and some new design elements. 

The image of Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon is the key motif on the front of the new 50-peso banknote and is printed similarly as in the previously-issued note. To the left of the image appears a frame made up of Morelos’ battle flag, two intertwined cannons, a bow, an arrow, and the word “SUD”. The latter two elements were used as motifs in the coins minted by the insurgent leader. The cannons are in blue. On top of the frame appears, in diminishing microprinting, the following texts included in the Sentiments of the Nation:

QUE LA ESCLAVITUD SE PROSCRIBA PARA SIEMPRE Y LO MISMO LA DISTINCIÓN DE CASTAS, QUEDANDO TODOS IGUALES, Y SÓLO DISTINGUIRÁ A UN AMERICANO DE OTRO EL VICIO Y LA VIRTUD (“LET SLAVERY PROSCRIBE NOW AND FOREVER AS WELL AS SOCIAL CLASS DISTINCTION, REMAINING ALL EQUAL, AND BEING VICE AND VIRTUE THE ONLY MATTER DISTINGUISHING ONE AMERICAN CITIZEN FROM ANOTHER”). 

Morelos image, all texts, the denomination numerals, and the frame are printed in raised ink (intaglio), except for the denomination numeral and the rippled lines in the right lower clear window, which are embossed.

The monarch butterflies, which are the distinctive feature of the state of Michoacán, also appear, printed in a color-changing ink that has a rolling-bar effect (Spark technique), only in the small clear window in the upper left side, and in the clear window, in the right side. Another feature of this banknote is the increasing folio numerals.

The key visual feature on the back of the banknote is the aqueduct of the city of Morelia, Michoacán, constructed by Bishop Manuel Escalante Columbres in the eighteenth century. Three monarch butterflies appear in front of it. To the left side of the aqueduct is a representation of the pre-Hispanic symbol of the state of Michoacán (Mechuaca, which means “land of fish,” taken from the codex telleriano remensis). Monarch butterflies can also be observed, some printed in the main body of the polymer and others in the clear window.

You can find more information on the note in this poster (PDF) from the Banco de Mexico, on this website and in this video.


Steven Tuesday 07 May 2013 at 7:46 pm | | news | No comments
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IBNS Banknote of the Year 2012

The International Banknote Society (IBNS) announces "that its voting membership has again selected the National Bank of Kazakhstan to receive its prestigious “Bank Note of the Year” Award for 2012. Facing stiff competition as always from nearly 100 new banknotes released worldwide in 2012, the 5000 Tenge denomination Kazakhstan note was followed in voting by the Canada 50 Dollar and Jersey 100 Pound currency bills."

On the IBNS forum one of the members raises a very interesting complaint about this winning note. As you can clearly see on the website of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the 5000 tenge banknote is part of the 2011 series and it even has an official issue date of 30 December 2011 which would make it impossible to enter the 2012 competition.

My opinion (I repeat, my opinion): I'm not crazy about the design of this banknote. I think it's too busy, too crowded with symbolism and the colours look a bit cheap. But congrats anyway and you can already send in nominations for Banknote of the Year 2013!

Steven Monday 06 May 2013 at 6:01 pm | | news | No comments
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First series Qatar banknotes will be cancelled

All notes of the first series of the Qatar Central Bank will become worthless on 15 June 2013. This includes the denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 riyals.

(Source)

Steven Friday 03 May 2013 at 3:19 pm | | news | No comments
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