The UK’s new £20 note was among new banknotes recognised for their design and security technical excellence with international awards. The awards came during the High Security Printing EMEA Conference, organised by Reconnaissance International, recently in Lisbon. The three categories were: Best New Series, Best New Banknote, and Best New Commemorative Banknote.
The Central Bank of Armenia’s new Dram series won Best New Series. The denominations of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 Drams are produced on a composite substrate that combines the durability of polymer with the printability and inclusion of paper. The design of the notes also reflects the historical, cultural and religious themes of the country, the first to have an entire banknote series printed on Louisenthal’s Hybrid ADDvance paper/polymer composite.
The Best New Banknote award went to the Bank of England for its new £20 featuring English artist JMW Turner. Produced on De La Rue’s Safeguard polymer substrate alongside CCL’s Guardian substrate, the banknote incorporates several innovative features – it is the first Bank of England polymer banknote to have two windows. The note has also been designed to withstand the modern cash cycle and has a tactile feature to aid the visually impaired. Several overt and covert design features include a metallised 3D image of the coronation crown on the font with a purple foil patch based on the staircase at the Tate Britain on the reverse side.
Best New Commemorative Banknote went to the National Bank of Poland for its 19 Zloty, pictured; which marks the 100th anniversary of the Polish Security Printing Works. The banknote, which went into circulation in October 2019, stood out because the face value – 19 pln – is unusual while the combination of traditional design and modern security features also impressed. It’s also among the first banknotes in Europe with a new holographic element located over a see-through window and the first with SICPA’s new colour SPARK Live combination – violet to bronze (which reflects the principal colours of the note).
Visit https://www.hsp-emea.com/awards/.
