Large Area and High Impact… It’s All About the Windows for Polymer Banknotes

The window in the polymer banknote is proven as a strong security feature. This article lays out why.

Windows are a simple way to authenticate a banknote and come with a clear public education message. The large area of a window means that they are highly impactful; the presence (or absence) of a window is more binary and more obvious than that of a watermark. Billions of people authenticate a banknote by holding it up to the light to check for the watermark, so the polymer window plays to that habit, although it can also be more subtly checked.

Windows are also virtually impossible to simulate. Most counterfeit banknotes are still produced on paper and paper counterfeits can’t simulate polymer windows convincingly. The latest polymer window designs are large, shaped to integrate into the banknote design and include complex print detail. These new windows create a modern aesthetic whilst also being virtually impossible to cut-out, compared to older die-cut windows in older banknote designs. Paper-based counterfeits of polymer notes rarely pass as genuine notes because they lack a window or have an extremely low-quality window.