In Other News…

• The Central Bank of the UAE has issued a new 500 dirham (AED) banknote – the fifth in its new all-polymer series, which has been progressively rolled out since 2022.

The banknote was printed by Oumolout on SAFEGUARD® polymer, and its introduction coincides with both celebrations of the UAE's 52nd National Day and the COP28 Summit, which the country is hosting.

According to the Bank, the banknote’s design encapsulates the UAE’s journey in sustainability, its pioneering development approach, its global role, its track-record of climate action, and its continuous commitment to advancing sustainable solutions.

The main image on the front of the note depicts the Terra Sustainability Pavilion in Expo City Dubai, while the reverse highlights the Museum of the Future in Dubai. Also prominent on the reverse is an image of iconic landmarks, namely Emirates Towers and the Burj Khalifa, which -at 828 metres high- is the world’s tallest building and is powered by solar energy.

The choice of polymer is in keeping with the country’s drive to sustainability, the Bank says, given that it is two or more times more durable than traditional banknotes and is fully recyclable.

In common with the AED 1,000, the new banknote features a KINEGRAM COLORS® top-to-bottom foil stripe and, in common with all the notes in the new series, a portrait of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in a second clear window. The note also includes prominent symbols in braille to aid the visually-impaired.

• The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) has unveiled and struck the first Canadian coin bearing the effigy of HM King Charles III, with the $1 circulation coin becoming the first to display the portrait of a new monarch in 70 years. The unveiling and striking took place on the King’s birthday, 14 November.

RCM plans to begin circulating a small volume of coins in all circulating denominations by the end of the year, through public coin exchanges and by meeting new market demand through the national coin management system.

RCM President Marie Lemay and artist Steven

Rosati at the effigy unveiling.

 

• Banque du Liban has announced the issue of an updated 100,000 livres banknote on 1 December, which will have a reduced size and feature one of two signature combinations, with the second version scheduled for release on 2 January 2024.

The first version will bear the signature of the Acting Governor, Wassim Mansouri, and the former Governor, Riad Salameh. The second version will bear his signature and that of the second Vice Governor, Bachir Yakzan.

In all other respects the notes will be the same as the current version, issued in 2022, albeit that the size is being reduced from 147mm x 82mm to 135mm x 66mm, making it one of the smaller notes in the series, despite being the highest denomination.

• The Central Bank of Nicaragua has announced the issue of upgraded 50 and 200 córdoba banknotes featuring a tactile element and iridescent stripe. Produced on Guardian™ polymer, they will co-circulate with the existing notes, issued in 2014, which will be gradually withdrawn as they wear out.

• Just months after introducing a new high denomination circulating commemorative 2,000 peso banknote as the first in its new series, the Banco Central de la República Argentina has released an updated version with design changes, additional security features and high relief marks to assist the visually impaired.

The note features portraits of Argentina’s first female doctor, Cecilia Greirson, and Dr Ramón Carillo, a neurosurgeon and the country’s first Minister of Health, against a background of the Dr Carlos Malbrán national health institute. The key changes include the addition of a green micro- optics thread on the front that matches the SPARK feature and the repositioning of the denomination numeral from the bottom to the top of the note.

The 1,000 peso of the new series has also been issued, but it not known when the remaining new denominations (the 500, 200 and 100 pesos) will be introduced. In the meantime, the recent election of the populist Javier Milei as the country’s new president has cast doubts over the new series, as he has stated that he will abolish the central bank and ditch the currency in favour of the US dollar.

The US Mint has released the final coin of this year’s American Women Quarters programme, the fifth this year and the tenth coin in total. Widely considered the first American prima ballerina, Maria Tallchief broke barriers as a Native American ballet dancer.

© US Mint.

 

The reverse design depicts her spotlit in balletic pose. Her Osage name, which translates to ‘Two Standards’, is inscribed in Osage orthography underneath.