CCL Secure: A Year of Innovation and Collaboration

Polymer appears to be something of a ‘thing’ in this issue. So, having heard from one established and one emerging polymer substrate manufacturer – De La Rue and Spectra Systems respectively – it seems only fair to hear from the second established manufacturer, CCL Secure, who has provided an end of year summary for GUARDIAN™.

According to CCL Secure, polymer banknotes have gained immense popularity in recent years, becoming a favoured choice among central banks, with one in four now utilising them in circulating denominations. This rise in adoption has been consistent since 2016, with more than 100 banknote designs (denominations) released on polymer.

One of the standout achievements for GUARDIAN was at the recent High Security Printing event in Sri Lanka, where Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) won the Best New Banknote 2023 award for their 1,000 piso polymer note.

Another noteworthy transition to polymer was made by the Central Bank of Egypt, which launched the 20 pound banknote in June, one year after introducing the polymer 10 pound. CCL Secure collaborated with Egypt’s new print works and worked closely with the central bank to ensure a smooth transition.

In Europe meanwhile, the National Bank of Poland released a commemorative banknote in February to honour the legacy of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. This vibrant 20 zloty banknote used GUARDIAN to provide an ideal surface to embed complex security features such as CINEMA and VIVID.

Banco de México marked the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Jalisco printworks with a new house note. The note includes the innovative VIVID Colour technology, an advanced feature which – says CCL Secure – gives the banknote a visually captivating quality, with intricate designs featuring the banknotes of Mexico becoming animated when exposed to ultraviolet light, revealing a full- resolution image.

Finally, says CCL Secure, GUARDIAN banknotes are manufactured using greener products and processes, which help drive down carbon emissions. The adoption of polymer promotes sustainability within central bank issuance, and the ability to recycle gives a second life to new products, contributing significantly to the reduce, reuse and recycle ethos.