In Macau the Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) and the Bank of China will both introduce a commemorative banknote of 20-petaca celebrating the 20th anniversary of the return of Macau to China.
There will be 5 million banknotes available, starting from the second half of 2019.
Updte 26-10-2019: both banknotes have been issued at this moment.
According to an article in Japan Today, Japan will issue three new banknotes in the first half of 2024.
"The new ¥10,000 bill will feature Eiichi Shibusawa (1840-1931), a banker and business leader dubbed “the father of Japanese capitalism.” Shibusawa played a key role in modernizing the Japanese economy, Aso said. The back side of the bill will feature an illustration of the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station.
The ¥5,000 bill will feature Umeko Tsuda (1864-1929), the founder of Tsuda University in Tokyo, who studied in the U.S. and became a pioneer in the education of Japanese women in early 20th century. The back side will feature an illustration of wisteria flowers.
The ¥1,000 bill will feature Shibasaburo Kitasato (1853-1931), a bacteriologist who helped build the foundation for modern medical science in Japan. The opposite side will feature “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” the famous woodblock print by ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai.
A portrait on the new bills will be rendered as a 3D hologram, which the Finance Ministry said is a world first for currency.
Aso said the government will not redesign the ¥2,000 bill because the number of bills in circulation “is extremely small.”
The announcement follows Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga’s April 1 announcement that the new Imperial era, set to begin on May 1 when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends to the Chrysanthemum Throne, will be called Reiwa. Emperor Akihito is set to abdicate on April 30.
Some government officials welcomed the timing of the announcement to coincide with the change in era, but Aso told a news conference that the era change was not the main factor. Japan changes the designs of the three bills to prevent counterfeiting about every 20 years, Aso said.
“We didn’t pay much attention to the announcement of the era name,” Aso said.
The last time Japan introduced new bill designs was 2004, a change announced in 2002.
In the first part of fiscal 2021, the ministry will also introduce a new ¥500 coin with the same design but using new materials.
According to the Finance Ministry, about 9.97 billion ¥10,000 bank notes were in circulation in fiscal 2018, along with 660 million ¥5,000 bills, 100 million ¥2,000 bills and 4.2 billion ¥1,000 bills.
Older bills will remain valid, but the ministry expects that most will be replaced in the three to four years after 2024, officials said.
The current ¥10,000 bill features Yukichi Fukuzawa (1835-1901), an intellectual leader of the Meiji Era who founded Keio University in Tokyo. Fukuzawa was featured on the ¥10,000 bill introduced in 1984 and remained the face of the bill in the 2004 redesign, meaning the upcoming change will be the bill’s first in 40 years.
On the front side of the current ¥5,000 bill is writer and poet Ichiyo Higuchi (1872-1896), and the current ¥1,000 bill features medical scientist Hideyo Noguchi (1876-1928).
In 1984, the government decided not to feature any politicians or military leaders on bank notes to maintain political neutrality. Figures for the main portraits are chosen from among cultural figures of the Meiji Era or later."
The Bank of Ghana has announced that on 6 May 2019 updated notes will be issued to the public. From the press release:
"The upgraded banknotes will have enhanced security features in line with evolving changes in the technological landscape. The upgraded banknotes also come with improved durability and machine readability. The enhanced security features are:
The following principal design elements remain unchanged in the upgraded banknotes:
The upgraded and the existing series of banknotes will co-circulate."
The Central Bank of the Bahamas will issue a new 3-dollar note on 28 March 2019.
What will it look like? From the press release: "Predominantly, burgundy with shades of brown, red, lavender, and yellow, the banknote measures 156 mm long and 67 mm wide bearing on the front a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the series, and the signature of the Governor of the Central Bank of The Bahamas, together with the words "Central Bank of The Bahamas. These notes are legal tender under the Central Bank of The Bahamas Act 2000 for payment of any amount Three Dollars". A watermark of Queen Elizabeth II and numeral $3, 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 Passion flower in the center.
The back features images of sail boats at sea. The images are flanked above by the numeral $3 that appears in the upper left and lower right corners, while the words "Three Dollars" are in the upper right quadrant. Just below the images of sail boats is the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas along with the words "Central Bank of The Bahamas"."
Update 8-4-2019: pictures and videos below.
The Central Bank of Azerbaijan has introduced a new 10-manat banknote on 18 March 2019.
"The key design element of the renewed 10 manat banknote has been retained (a schematic view of the Icheri Sheher and the Maiden Tower, the Azerbaijani map and European integration, a number of carpet patterns).
As for security elements, in contrast to the existing 10 manat banknote, the new banknote on the obverse has the Coat of Arms of Azerbaijan as a watermark.
On the left side there is a new hologram reflecting the Maiden Tower, moving waves and a big denomination number in color changing shimmering lines in 3D effect (LEAD). Mini letters and figures are visible in different parts of the hologram. At the same time, the front of the banknote depicts the image of part of the Icherisheher, that delivers dynamic light effects and color changing properties from green to blue (SPARK LIVE®). The tactile printings can help sight impaired persons to recognize the value of the note.
On the reverse of the banknote there is a window type new security thread with '10' and 'AMB' texts on it and color changing properties from green to blue (Rolling Star®). Also iridescent ink stripes in violet and gold reflect the '10 AZN' letters."
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has announced it will present it's new 100-francs banknote on 3 September 2019 and it will be issued to the public from 12 September 2019. This news was mentioned in the same press release where they announced the new 1,000-francs note.
The 100-francs note will conclude the release of the ninth banknote series.
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has announced it will start to issue its new 1,000-francs banknote from 13 March 2019. From the press release:
"The inspiration behind the new banknote series is ‘The many facets of Switzerland’. Each denomination depicts a typically Swiss characteristic, which is then illustrated graphically using a range of elements. The 1000-franc note focuses on Switzerland’s communicative flair, as expressed by language, the note’s key motif. Core design elements are the hand and the globe, which appear on every denomination in the new series.
As with the banknotes currently in circulation, the ninth series consists of six denominations; the colour scheme, too, remains the same. Accordingly, the main colour of the new 1000- franc note is purple. However, the format has been modified – the new notes are smaller and thus easier to handle. The innovative combination of complex security features and sophisticated design provides state-of-the-art anti-counterfeiting protection."
Shall we just send the Banknote of the Year Award 2019 already?
The Central Bank of Mongolia has issued a new 5,000-tögrög banknote. The new note uses "the latest technology elements. This new element is virtually impossible or too costly to imitate.
With the introduction of the 3-dimensional technology and the Spark Inkjet element, the Soyombo on the real currency will have a distinctive feature, which changes color with the movement, from the counterfeit currency."
The old 5,000-tögrög notes will remain valid. New notes of 10,000- and 20,000-tögrög will be issued later this year.
The Bank of Guyana has issued an updated version of their 1,000-dollars banknote. The new note has two distinctive changes:
"The first change is the replacement of the holographic stripe at the front of the note with a RAPID® micro-optic security feature. The six millimetre-wide, blue micro-optic feature displays fluid and highly visible movement behind the national flower – the Victoria Regia Lily, which is also represented in the print on the edges of the note. With only a slight tilt of the banknote, the BoG added, the bands in the RAPID feature move up and down behind the static numerals "1000" as the flower petals shimmer in blue and white.
Meanwhile, the second change is the replacement of the windowed security thread at the back of the currency note with an embedded plastic thread, which is visible when held against the light."
It was already announced that two Northern Ireland banks would make a switch to polymer £5 and £10 notes. The new Danske Bank and Bank of Ireland currency has entered circulation in February 2019.
Danske Bank's new £10 polymer note is similar in design to the previous paper note, bearing a portrait of inventor John Dunlop. The Bank of Ireland has also issued new £5 and £10 notes, with the polymer versions retaining the image of Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim.
The Ulster Bank has issued also two new banknotes of 5 and 10 pound made of polymer. I think they look very pretty and to me they're definitely the best looking banknotes of the lot.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has presented the new 20-dollar banknote which will be introduced in October 2019. From the press release: "As with the existing banknote, the new $20 features portraits of Mary Reibey and Reverend John Flynn.
Governor Philip Lowe said: 'The new $20 banknote continues to celebrate the lives of two outstanding Australians. Their stories are told through the images we have incorporated on the banknote, which provide a rich and diverse narrative about their life in Australia.'
Mary Reibey arrived in Australia as a convict, but soon broke out of rigidly defined social norms to earn a reputation as an astute and successful businesswoman running her shipping and trading enterprises. She also became known for her support of charity, religion and education. Reibey's story is illustrated on the new $20 banknote through an image of a Port Jackson schooner in Sydney Cove in the early 1800s, similar to the type owned by Mary Reibey. Beside it is a traditional Eora nowie (canoe). Aboriginal women fishing from these vessels were a common sight on the harbour in Reibey's time.
John Flynn pioneered the world's first aerial medical service in 1928, now known as the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), to spread a ‘mantle of safety’ across 7.65 million square kilometres of outback. Today, it remains the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical emergency and healthcare service in the world. His stories are told through a RFDS De Havilland aircraft leaving a remote Broken Hill homestead in 1948 and a pedal-powered transceiver used by the service to improve communication in remote areas.
The Governor also said of the new banknote: ‘Improved security and ease of recognition are important characteristics of the new $20 banknote. The same innovative security features from the previously released $5, $10 and $50 banknotes have been incorporated to help keep them secure from counterfeiting.’
These features include a top-to-bottom clear window that contains dynamic elements, including a flying kookaburra that moves its wings and changes colour, and a reversing number ‘20’. There is also a patch with a rolling-colour effect and microprint featuring excerpts from Flynn's book The Bushman's Companion and the names of Reibey's ships. As with the $5, $10 and $50, the new banknote includes representations of a wattle and a native bird. The $20 features Acacia buxifolia and a Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae).
The Reserve Bank continues to work closely with banknote equipment manufacturers and retailers to help them prepare ATMs and other banknote authenticating machines to handle the new $20 banknote. This has included the distribution of test notes to allow manufacturers and owners of these machines to update their equipment. The design is being released today to facilitate this ongoing work with the industry as well as staff training to ensure a smooth transition when the banknotes are released later this year.
The new banknotes also has a ‘tactile’ feature to help people who are blind or who have low vision to distinguish between different denominations of banknotes. On the $20 banknote, this is three raised bumps on each of the long edges of the banknote.
Existing $20 banknotes can continue to be used, as all previously issued banknotes remain legal tender. It is expected that the $100 banknote will be released next year.
Full details of the design and security features on the new $20 banknote, and other denominations, are available on the Bank's website at banknotes.rba.gov.au."
Update 26-10-2019: the new note has been issued.
The Central Bank of Libya (CBL) has issued a commemorative banknote of 1 dinar on 18 February 2019. The note commemorates the 8th Anniversary of the February Revolution. The new note is made of polymer.
Remarkable that they issue a new commemorative note when the country is still very much in ruins with even rival governments.
The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has issued a new banknote of 100,000 som on 25 February 2019.
The note has 2019 as its date and is 144 x 78mm in size. On the front we can see a 5 mm wide security thread with a 3D effect. The front also shows the monument of the scholar and astronomer Mirzo Ulugbek. In the center of the note is an image of the solar system printed on optical variable ink. The back shows the Mirzo Ulugbek Observatory in Samarkand. The note shows the map of Uzbekistan in the background with the words “UZBEKISTAN REPUBLIKASI” repeated in microtext.
The National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia has announced that all future banknotes will show the new name of the country: Republic of North Macedonia.
Previously known as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia the country recently changed its name to Republic of North Macedonia after years of debate between the Republic and Greece. The National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia will modify its banknotes from 2020 to reflect the change.
Finally back from a short vacation in my own country with very nice temperatures for February. Last year we were freezing our hats off but exactly one year later we could sit in the sun in a t-shirt. Ah well, back to our beloved hobby!
The Central Bank of Guinea has issued a new banknote of 20,000 francs in the 2018-series. It is smaller in size than the current circulating (and still legal) 2015-series, and shows two pigeons, to symbolize Guinea’s opening to the world. The new banknotes have a varnish coat to improve their durability. The two mentioned pigeons are printed with an optical effect that produces a dynamic movement and changes its color when tilted. On the back the note shows an improved security stripe which changes from gold to green when tilted.
On 1 March 2019 the Central Bank has also issued new banknotes of 2,000- and 10,000-francs completing the new 2018-series. The 2,000-francs note shows a Guinean man, with the mount Nimba in the back.
Images from MRI Guide.
