Recognising Excellence in Banknotes from Asia

This year’s prestigious Regional Banknote of the Year Awards for Asia were presented at a special ceremony during the High Security Printing™ (HSP) Asia conference earlier this month.

There are three categories for the Banknote awards – Best New Series, Best New Banknote and Best New Commemorative Banknote – with Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, China and Samoa all receiving recognition this year.

Best New Banknote Series

The award for the Best New Banknote Series went to the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, for the three new banknotes in the country’s fifth series – in denominations of 200, 500 and 1,000 soms – honouring the 30th anniversary of the national currency.

The principal designs remain a reflection of the historical and cultural heritage of Kyrgyzstan and are unchanged, as are the sizes and principal colours, from the previous series, introduced in 2010. But the overall appearance is fresher, more modern and less ‘cluttered’. The portraits, representatives of art and culture, have been preserved on the front of the banknotes and notable sites of the republic on the reverse.