Oberthur Fiduciaire – Leading the Way on Safer, Greener, More Secure Banknotes

The history of French banknote and security printer Oberthur Fiduciaire (OF) dates back 175 years, being founded by Francois-Charles Oberthur in 1842. It was acquired by the Savare family in 1984 and, although it was active for a period in a range of security markets, is now focused exclusively on currency – specifically, paper, print, features and cash protection – and is one of the top three commercial players in the market.

It was also an early convert to the environment, establishing its Earth 365 programme several years before sustainability catapulted to the top of the cash industry’s agenda, and the development of greener products and manufacturing processes is central to what it does.

Etienne Couëlle joined the company as Managing Director in 2021 after a 15 year hiatus, having worked there in the 1990s and early 2000s. He appears to be relishing the challenge of positioning the company as a leader in innovation, the environment and more durable and safer banknotes, as he explained to Currency News™ during the recent Global Currency Forum.