The Bank of Mauritius has issued an improved version of its 2,000-rupees note, according to printer De la Rue, on 6 December 2018. "The note is a reproduction of the current design: retaining most of the paper security features, whilst introducing some upgraded security features. These enhanced features include De La Rue’s Mask™ feature and newly launched Illuminate design technique for polymer. (...)
A first in polymer design, Illuminate uses a combination of inks, including matte and iridescent inks, to inject vivid colour into the polymer window. Designs are no longer limited by the muted colours of previous generations of polymer. Illuminate offers unlimited possibilities in window design, through the creation of vibrant, standout artwork which drives strong end user recognition and public authentication. (...)
This is the 35th banknote to be issued on De La Rue’s polymer substrate, Safeguard®, which was originally launched in 2012."
The Bulgarian National Bank has announced it will introduce an updated deign of its 100-lev banknote. This banknote is the first of a new series. The basic design of the new series is pretty much the same as the existing banknotes but the security features have been updated.
The updated banknote will be available from 28 December 2018.
Additional sign for blind people: consists of five thick and six thin lines located at an angle of the two short sides of the banknote.
Hologram band with optical effects: alternating images of edelweiss and the profile of Aleko Konstantinov; color holographic portrait of Aleko Konstantinov; detail from a monument of Aleko Konstantinov, changing its color from emerald green to sapphire blue; dynamic chess effect with change of color from emerald green to sapphire blue and a three-dimensional image of the number 100.
Optical ink: the number 100 is printed with color changing ink with a dynamic chess effect that changes from emerald green to sapphire blue (SPARK).
Security thread: embedded in the paper and partially protruding from the reverse side with a light repeating text "BNB 100" and with a dynamic chess effect, changing its color from emerald green to sapphire blue. The image of the repeating text "BNB 100" is read from the front when the banknote is placed against a light source.
High-resolution watermark: observed when the banknote is placed against a light source. It consists of a high resolution halftone image of the portrait of Aleko Konstantinov. The images are also seen on the reverse side of the banknote.
The Banque d'Algérie has already printed the new 500- and 1,000-dinars banknotes and they might be issued before the end of this year.
The 500-dinars will have as its main motif Science and Technology and show the technological advancement of Algeria over the years. The 1,000-dinars note has National Traditions and Customs as its motif and will have the Great Mosque of Algiers as an image. The Great Mosque is being built right now and will be the largest in Africa, with the world’s tallest minaret at 265m. The new notes will probably be printed on a better (perhaps hybrid) substrate and will have advanced security features.
Update 26-01-2019: rumour has it that the new banknotes have been postponed until the Great Mosque of Algiers is inaugurated. So that's until.....???
The Central Bank of Egypt has announced its intention to start issuing polymer banknotes from 2020. The first polymer banknote will be a 10-pounds note, according to gdnonline.com.
In a statement to state-run Middle East News Agency (MENA), CBE Governor Tarek Amer said that the polymer banknotes would be more durable than paper ones.
"Polymer banknotes are already being used in major economies," he said, adding that the initiative would benefit Egypt’s currency market, slash printing costs and enhance the quality of banknotes.
He said banks would start issuing the polymer banknotes, with a denomination of 10 pounds, at its printing headquarters in the new administrative capital.
According to Buyemen.com the Central Bank of Yemen wil issue a new 100-ritals note early 2019. The new notes are printed in Russia. The Central Bank also announced that it is considering issuing a coin to replace the 50 riyals banknotes.
The United Arab Emirates Central Bank has issued a 100-dirham note in commemoration of the Year of Zayed, which coincides with the 47th National Day. The banknote carries a "Year of Zayed" logo. The new banknote pays tribute to the life of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The Banca Nationala a Romaniei (National Bank of Romania) has announced a new commemorative banknote of 100 lei, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Great Union. It marks the unification of Transylvania, Bessarabia, and Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom in 1918.
There will only be 10,000 bankniotes available as a numismatic product. Some of the details from the press release:
size: 147 x 82 mm;
prevailing colour: blue;
polymer substrate, printed in plane/relief mixed technique;
complex transparent window
"The obverse of the banknote shows the following representative graphical elements: on the right side, the portraits of King Ferdinand I and Queen Maria; below, on two lines, their names and life spans, namely "REGELE FERDINAND I 1865-1927" and "REGINA MARIA 1875-1938". In the central area, an image depicting the Great National Assembly in Alba Iulia, on 1 December 1918.
The obverse also shows: the coat of arms of Romania, in the upper left part, the name of the issuing central bank "BANCA NAȚIONALĂ A ROMÂNIEI", in the upper part horizontally, and below, the NBR logo in a medallion and, further down, the years "1918-2018". The face value is printed four times, as follows: in the lower left corner, horizontally, in figures, "100"; in the lower central area, in letters, on two lines, "LEI UNA SUTĂ"; in the lower right corner, vertically, in letters, "UNA SUTĂ LEI" and in the upper right corner, vertically, in figures, "100".
The signatures of the Governor and the Chief Cashier are printed in the central area, above the face value in letters.
The date of putting the banknote into circulation, i.e. "1 decembrie 2018", is printed vertically, on the right side.
The reverse of the banknote features the arrival of the royal cortege in Bucharest, on 1 December 1918, and part of the mace of King Ferdinand I, together with four women in folk costumes typical of each united Romanian province: Bessarabia, Romania, Transylvania and Bukovina.
Below is the text "FALSIFICAREA ACESTOR BILETE SE PEDEPSEȘTE CONFORM LEGILOR" (Forgery is punished according to the law).
The name of the issuing central bank "BANCA NAȚIONALĂ A ROMÂNIEI" is placed in the upper part, horizontally, and the NBR logo is printed in the upper right corner and in the lower left corner. The face value is printed as follows: vertically, in the upper left corner, and horizontally, in the lower right corner in figures, "100" and horizontally, in the lower left corner in letters, "UNA SUTĂ LEI".
The serial number of the banknote is printed in letters and figures, in red and black ink, as follows: on the left side, horizontally, in red ink, with fonts of ascending height and on the right side, vertically, in black ink."
The Central Bank of Armenia has issued the first three notes of of the new series on 22 November 2018, on the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the national currency. The first three are the 10,000-, 20,000- and 50,000-dram notes. The second batch of new notes (1,000-, 2,000- and 5,000-dram notes) will be issued from 25 December 2018.
These new notes were designed by Edward Kurginyan, Vardan Vardanyan and Suren Simonyan. In the new series we can see that the 100,000-dram note is not present but the Central Bank stated that the current notes will continue to be used.
The People's Bank of China has announced that a commemorative banknote of 50 yuan will be issued from 28 December 2018. The note commemorates the 70th anniversary of the issuance of the renminbi (RMB), China's national currency.
The front of the note shows the tree ring and the first to fifth sets of representative parts of the RMB. At the top left is the national emblem pattern, the name of the "People's Bank of China", and the words "The 70th Anniversary of RMB Issuance" and "1948-2018".
The back of the note shows the People's Bank of China Building, supplemented by Peony, the former site of the People's Bank of China, the first set of RMB distribution notices and the silhouette of the city building. In the upper left corner of the ticket is the denomination number "50", the Chinese Pinyin alphabet of the People's Bank of China and the words and denominations of the "People's Bank of China" in the four national languages of Mongolia, Tibet, Victoria and Zhuang.
Last year on 8 March 2018, International Women's Day, the Governor of the Bank of Canada Stephen Poloz, revealed the new polymer 10-dollar banknote to the public. The new note gives a glimpse of the new series which will have a vertical orientation. The Bank of Canada chose Viola Desmond (1914-1965) as the face for the new 10-dollar banknote, the first note of a new series of banknotes.
From the press release: "The back of the $10 bank note features images and symbols that represent Canada’s ongoing pursuit of rights and freedoms. It features the Canadian Museum for Human Rights—the first museum in the world solely dedicated to the evolution, celebration and future of human rights. Also depicted on the note are an eagle feather—representing the ongoing journey toward recognizing rights and freedoms for Indigenous Peoples in Canada—and an excerpt from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."
The press release als mentions some other interesting facts:
With the issuance of this new $10 note, the Bank of Canada’s approach to issuing bank notes is changing. Rather than issuing all five denominations within a short time frame, a new note will be issued every few years. This will allow the Bank to integrate the latest security features each time a new bank note is issued, ensuring that Canadians can continue to use their bank notes with confidence.
To continue to celebrate more iconic Canadians, the next $5 note will also feature a new portrait subject and supporting imagery. In due course, the Bank will launch another consultation process to seek input from Canadians on the design of the next $5 note.
As a result of the consultation processes to select new portrait subjects for the $10 note and the next $5 note, Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, and first francophone Prime Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, will be honoured on higher value bank notes when they are redesigned.
These changes mean that former prime ministers William Lyon Mackenzie King and Sir Robert Borden will no longer be portrayed on bank notes. The $20 denomination will continue to feature the reigning monarch.
There will be live webcast for the presentation, so watch it while it lasts:
The island of Guernsey has issued a commemorative 20-pound note to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
The note, which was issued on 8 November 2018, is like the existing 20-pound note but with (some pretty cool) special details added. From the press release:
The serial number has a special prefix of TGW denoting 'The Great War'
There are multiple poppy motifs throughout the front and back of the note:
The security hologram shows a poppy together with the denomination 20
There is a wreath of poppies around the gold seal
On the back of the note there is a prominent multi-coloured image of poppies
A limited issue of 500,000 notes has been commissioned. Uncirculated banknotes can be purchased from the Guernsey Post Office, Envoy House, La Vrangue, St Peter Port GY1 1AA website www.guernseystamps.com/bank-notes.
From the BBC: "Two Northern Ireland banks have announced a switch to polymer £5 and £10 notes. The new Danske Bank and Bank of Ireland currency will enter circulation in February 2019. (...)
Danske Bank's new £10 polymer note will be similar in design to its current paper note, bearing a portrait of inventor John Dunlop. (...) Bank of Ireland is to produce new £5 and £10 notes, with the polymer versions retaining the image of Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim.
Both banks will also introduce polymer £20 notes in 2020 or 2021. (...) Neither has said when the paper note equivalents will cease to be accepted, but they will be gradually removed from circulation."
The Bank of England has announced that the face of the future polymer 50-pound note will be a scientist. As seems custom these days, the people of Britain have been asked to provide the bank with suggestions for names.
Members of the public have six weeks to nominate a historical character who has contributed to science and influenced UK society. They could have worked in any field of science including astronomy, biology, bio-technology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, medical research, physics, technology or zoology. Early favourites to be featured on the banknote are Ada Lovelace, Stephen Hawking and Alan Turing.
The final decision will be announced in 2019 alongside a concept design for the new note.
The overall design and other specifications of the currency note remain the same as the current currency notes in circulation. The new banknote has lots of new security features, such as a SPARK® Live colour changing security feature printed at the left-hand bottom corner on the front of the note. When the note is tilted, the colour shifts from green to blue and shows a bar of light moving from top to bottom. The numeral 100 is integrated in this feature.
Also, the existing colour shifting security thread has been replaced with an advanced Galaxy three dimensional security thread. The original silver filigree foil has been removed and replaced with intaglio overprint at the front upper right-hand side of the currency note. The denomination value "100" at the right-hand bottom corner on the front of the currency note has been removed.
The note has been put in circulation along with the currency notes currently in circulation. The notes have been printed at the banknote printing plant in the Khalifa Industrial Zone in Abu Dhabi.
Hello, I'm Steven Bron and welcome to this special blog on banknotes with a space and astronomy theme! My primary focus is on notes that show astronomers and their work, solar systems, planets, constellation, space crafts, satellites, observatories, telescopes and so on. My goal is to describe every banknote from around the world with such a theme.
You can find my main blog on the world of banknotes by clicking here.
Disclaimer: most of the pictures on this blog are from Banknoteworld.com.
The Bank of Mauritius has issued an improved version of its 2,000-rupees note, according to printer De la Rue, on 6 December 2018. "The note is a reproduction of the current design: retaining most of the paper security features, whilst introducing some upgraded security features. These enhanced features include De La Rue’s Mask™ feature and newly launched Illuminate design technique for polymer. (...)
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