BEP have developed iBill, a device to help the visually impaired and blind authenticate and identify banknotes. From 2015 on, it'll be freely distributed among US citizens with eyesight problems. The program's cost is estimated at $15M.
To date, US banknotes have no special marks for easier banknote usage by the visually impaired. This fact even led to a lawsuit by the American Foundation for the Blind against the Treasury. Then BEP promised to introduce special marks on new banknote series (likeliest due for issuance after 2020) and decided to equip all the needy with special devices.
iBill identifies all denoms ($1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100) including worn and soiled ones, signalling the user by voice what banknote they're holding. It's compact - easily portable in a pocket or on a belt - and energy-efficient with a regular AAA battery lasting for about a year.
Link to the module USACounterfeit $100, Serial No. KL 46632875 C Simulated Fed's $100 note of 2006A series Alphanumeric Fed bank index: L12Check letter, quadrant no.: C3Check letter, face type-plate no.: C243Back type-plate no.: 120 Counterfeit $100, Serial No. AB 09471212 D Simulated Fed's $100 note of 1996 series Alphanumeric Fed bank index: B2Check letter, quadrant no.: G4Check letter, face... Read more
More and more people pay for their purchases/services by credit card and smartphone. In this context, the Danish National Bank (Nationalbanken) has announced it won't be printing notes and minting coins any longer. Nationalbanken plans to outsource all its printing/minting activities by 2017. 'Although cash volumes in Denmark's circulation are still large, public demand for new notes/coins has been falling in the recent years,... Read more
For the 150th anniversary of Toktogul Satylganov, a prominent Kyrgyz aqyn, composer, and trump player, and the 100th anniversary of Alykul Osmonov, a famous Kyrgyz poet, playwright, and translator, the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic has issued commemorative KGS 100 and 200 banknotes with memorable letterings 'Токтогулга 150 жыл' and 'Алыкул Осмоновго 100 жыл' since 20 October 2014. Commemorative KGS 100... Read more
Bank of Engkand awarded new banknote printing contract to De La Rue Read more
October 7 2014- Norway National Bank competition dedicated to new currencies design succesfullly resulted in high-quality concepts. Read more
4 out of 5 purchases in Sweden are done by wire transfer or debit card. The cheaper technologies develop, the faster the country moves to 'cashless' society Read more