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Monthly Newsletter “Banknotes of the World” #5, 2014
The May 2014 issue of the Banknotes of the World newsletter offers its readers important and interesting information in the cash circulaton industry and elsewhere! In early April, Washington, DC hosted Banknote 2014 as a major cash conference gathering experts and professionals from all over the world. In this issue, read: Exclusive interview with Tomas Ferguson, Conference Chairman on the outcomes of Banknote 2014 and the future of cash. Overview of the Conference's plenary session with a... Read more
CBR to Issue Commemorative VE Day Coins
The Central Bank of Russia is officially going to issue in 2014-2015 commemorative coins of the base metal series "70th Anniversary of Soviet People's Victory in Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945". The series will consist of 21 coins: 18 RUB 5 coins to be minted later this year and 3 RUB 10 coins to be issued in H1 2015. The mintage of each RUB 5 coin will be 2m pcs., with RUB 10 in 5m pcs. The coins will have standard commemorative circulatory coin characteristics. The RUB 5 coin will be minted... Read more
Counterfeit Notes Detected in April 2014
Counterfeit $10 Note, Serial No. BL 04281903 A Imitated $10 Fed note of 1999 series Alphanumeric Fed bank index – L12; check letter and quadrant no. – F3; check letter and face type-plate no, – F35; back type-plate no, – 105. According to the RIM FC, the fake was seized in Khabarovsk Territory. Counterfeit $100 Note, Serial No. AK 76493271 D Imitated $100 Fed note of 1996 series Alphanumeric Fed bank index - K8; check... Read more
Stolen Francs Enter Circulation
In October 2012, Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) informed Swiss authorities of detecting suspicious 1,000-franc banknotes in a London exchange office. The notes were found to have missed cyclical turnaround and been stolen from the Orell Füssli printing plant in Zurich. As investigated by the General Prosecutor's Office of Switzerland, there were about 1,800 stolen notes causing $2m damage. According to the bank's info, absent serial number may be a sign of stolen notes.... Read more
Lithuania Launches Minting of Euro Coins
Lithuania has minted samples of the euro coins to be issued by the Bank of Lithuania by 2015. "The euro in Lithuania is taking an actual physical form - the Lithuanian coins with the 2015 date now exist not only on paper, but have been minted from metal as well. The circulation euro coin samples are high quality examples of coins – they will be the basis for the coins jingling in the purses of the Lithuanian population," says Vitas Vasiliauskas, Chairman of the Board of... Read more
Monthly Newsletter “Banknotes of the World” #4, 2014
The April issue of the "Banknotes of the World" newsletter features overviews of top cash cycle conferences in late February - early March 2014: • In Istanbul on February 24-26, Currency Research held another ICCOS EMEA 2014, the regular forum on cash cycle management and commercial cash operations, where various experts and representatives of central and commercial banks from around the world discussed cash circulation trends and shared their experiences in cash management at... Read more
Hryvnia Facing Pre-Withdrawal in Crimea
On April 11, Rustam Temirgaliev, 1st Deputy Chairman of the Crimean Cabinet Council, said that due to the hryvnia downfall and likelier Ukraine's default, the bi-currency scheme period on the peninsula might be reconsidered. What's under discussion now is substantial short-term hryvnia withdrawal on condition of its unlimited exchange for rubles and compensation of Crimeans' deposits in Ukrainian banks by the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA). DIA is already deploying its office network throughout... Read more
Euro Coin Counterfeits Fall in 2013
The number of counterfeit euro coins removed from circulation in 2013 decreased by 4% compared to the year before, according to the European Commission. In 2013, national authorities in all eurozone countries withdrew a total of 175,900 fake € coins. According to the Commission, with 16.8b genuine € coins currently in circulation, the counterfeit ratio is just over 10 ppm. However, the vast majority of coins, unlike banknotes, do not get returned from circulation and some... Read more
Counterfeit Notes Detected in March 2014
Counterfeit $100 note, serial # AC 58258269 A Imitated $100, 2003 series alphanumeric Fed bank index – C3; check letter and quadrant # – H2; check letter and face type-plate # – H13; back type-plate # – 26. According to the RIM FC, the fake note was detected in Moscow. Counterfeit $100 note, serial # AB 28196448 B Imitated $100, 1996 series alphanumeric Fed bank index - B2; check letter and quadrant # - F1; check... Read more
Visually Impaired Marks on Australian Banknotes?
Alexandra Lanchaster in Australia has organized signatures collection in support of the initiative to embed blind and visually impaired marks in the new series banknotes the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is planning to issue in the years to come. Mrs. Lanchaster is mother to a blind son. In her view, nowadays visually impaired Australians can hardly tell the denom of the note they have on hand and take as a change, while in independent settlements they have to entirely rely on people around.... Read more
How to Detect Fake British Coins?
According to data by the UK Royal Mint (RM) for November 2013, the share of counterfeit £1 coins in circulation has amounted to 3.04%. Due to the high counterfeiting level, RM is preparing to issue a £1 coin with redesign and security features in 2017. The 12-faceted shape will be its main visual feature. It'll be also different from the old version in 2 parts: the inner part will be made of white alloy, the outer part of yellow alloy. RM is planning to use there its new... Read more
Crimea Adopting Russian Currency
On March 24, 2014, the Russian ruble became legal tender in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastople city after their joining the Russian Federation. Since then, all settlements in any payments with one party as a Russian resident have transferred to the RF currency. The Ukrainian hryvnia may still be used till January 1, 2016, after which the ruble is to become Crimea's only currency. UAH will be in exchange at a set rate (3.8 rubles per hryvnia) without any... Read more
Bank of England's Mobile App
The Bank of England has launched a free application for iOS and Android mobile devices to help the general public, retail staff, and police officers authenticate British pound banknotes in circulation. The app describes the design and security features of all note denoms, note images against light and in UV. Besides, users will be advized on how to handle a suspicious... Read more
"Banknotes of the World" 2014 #3 Issued
The March 2014 issue of "Banknotes of the World" covered several important and hot topics. Firstly, it's the 95th jubilee of the Forensic Center at the Russian Interior Ministry. Today's Sherlock Holmeses perform a lot of miscellaneous expert work including on counterfeit banknotes and securities, operative research. We congratulate RIM FC on their jubilee, talk about basic historical stages of the service and address I.G. Zakharova, Head of the Document, Banknote and Securities Research... Read more
Commemorative Coin for 200th Anniversary of Norwegian Constitution
16 Feb. 2014, the Bank of Norway issued a commemorative circulatory coin worth 20 kroner on the 200th anniversary of the Constitution celebrated in Norway on 17 May this year. The coin obverse features Harald V, the ruling king of Norway. His portrait has engraved text "HARALD V NORGES KONGE" around and the designer initials "IAR" (Ingrid Austlid Rise) to the left. The lower part features the issue year "2014" and the mint sign between digits "0" and "1". The reverse... Read more