Money Matters: The Adoption of Patches

DataVault tells us that the use of patches on banknotes is increasing, albeit from a low base. In 1999 two issuers had applied a patch to their currency, as of late 2025 the number was 32, just under 20%. The adoption rate is slow but steady. The uptake appears to have no regional or size bias. From Jersey through to Nigeria.

Patches are preferred when space is at a premium and some would argue that they give designers greater freedom to innovate. In the past the patch application process was less efficient than applying foil stripes, requiring different equipment. Today those problems have been overcome.

Putting iridescent stripes to one side, banknotes do not tend to include a stripe as well as a patch (Seychelles being a notable exception – see page 19). Eight polymer notes have patches and only one banknote has a patch on the back (the Kazakhstan 500 tenge).