Latest News

Astrid Mitchell

31 March 2025

3 min read

CYPHER EVO – the Rise of Digital Features

Digitalisation is a buzzword that has been shaping industries for over 40 years, fundamentally transforming products and business models. In the security printing industry, this transformation is particularly relevant as smart devices become dominant tools for interaction and authentication.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

31 March 2025

2 min read

Korea Aims to Make Money from Recycled Money

According to the Bank of Korea (BOK), last year it withdrew and disposed of 474.89 million damaged or contaminated banknotes, amounting to a total value of KRW 3.3761 trillion won, a 1.9% reduction over the previous year. The disposal of these notes is part of its ongoing efforts to maintain the integrity and quality of the currency in circulation, the central bank said. It also disposed of 101.53 million coins.

Sustainability

Astrid Mitchell

31 March 2025

2 min read

Two Currency Winners in Central Banking Awards 2025

Central Banking Publications has announced all 27 winners of its 2025 awards, which are now in their 12th year. The Central Banking Awards recognise outstanding achievements in the central banking community and two of the 27 relate specifically to currency.

Central Banks

Astrid Mitchell

31 March 2025

2 min read

MDC Goes to Cape Town – at Last!

The Mint Directors Conference (MDC) was originally scheduled to take place in April 2020 in South Africa, but had to be postponed at short notice due to COVID. The event went ahead three years later, in Ottawa in October 2023, and now – five years on – is finally taking place in Cape Town, from 27-29 April, co-hosted by the South African Mint and with over 250 delegates from the minting industry taking part.

Coins Events

Astrid Mitchell

31 March 2025

2 min read

Sharp Rise in Counterfeit Euro Coins

Last month we reported on the 2024 counterfeit figures for the euro. This month is the turn of coins, with figures from the European Commission detailing a sharp increase in the number of counterfeits in 2023 (the most recent year on which it has reported) to 480,371 – up 62% compared to 2022 and the highest level by far since the introduction of the euro in 2002.

Coins Counterfeiting

Astrid Mitchell

31 March 2025

1 min read

Note and Coin News

The Bank of Namibia has issued a new N$60 commemorative polymer banknote, celebrating the life and legacy of the late President HE Dr Hage G Geingob, who served as the third president of Namibia from 2015 until his death in February 2024, aged 82.

Banknotes Coins

Astrid Mitchell

31 March 2025

3 min read

Strong Performances from Mints

In 2024 the Mint of Finland announced it was to close, and The Royal Mint announced its withdrawal from the export market. Both were seen as signs of an industry in decline, but perhaps benefiting from these development, the latest reports from two leading mints – those of Poland and France – tell a different and altogether more positive story.

Coins

Chander S Jeena

27 March 2025

3 min read

Style and Innovation Meet in Milan

The Intergraf Currency+Identity 2025 conference was held with style and innovation from 5-7 March in Milan, Italy. From the start, it promised more than just discussions, offering a creative and insightful take on the world of security printing to the 1,000+ delegates that took part.

Events

Antti Heinonen

24 March 2025

10 min read

Impacts of Recent Developments on the Cash Cycle: A Global Analysis

Even though innovations in digital payments have accelerated in recent decades, cash is the only payment option for a number of citizens in every country. Moreover, the great majority of people would like to keep cash as one of their payment options even in those countries where its share in transactions is already small. Cash is also used for precautionary reasons as well as a store of value and has a significant role in various crises and uncertainties.

Banknotes

Chander S Jeena

19 March 2025

5 min read

AGS Transact’s Downfall: A Cautionary Tale for India’s Fintech Industry

In the fast-changing world of financial technology, companies that once soared can just as quickly find themselves in free fall. AGS Transact Technologies, a prominent player in India's digital payments and cash management sector, is currently at the centre of a developing crisis that has sent shockwaves through the industry.

Companies

Francis Tuffy

18 March 2025

2 min read

Colour-Changing Smart Materials for Rapid Authentication

At the recent High Security Printing™ EMEA conference in Basel, Switzerland, Dr Alexander Brannan from the University of Manchester, and Gary Spinks of Security Fibres UK, presented advances in colour-changing smart materials designed for rapid authentication. This technology addresses key issues in anticounterfeiting by integrating academic research with industrial application.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

3 March 2025

3 min read

Fall in US Counterfeits, Says New Report

Financial authorities remain concerned about counterfeiting US currency; however, recent studies suggest a declining trend in the circulation of fake banknotes. A new report by Ruth Judson and published by the Federal Reserve – Estimating the Volume of Counterfeit US Currency in Circulation – provides insights into counterfeit US dollar circulation and its economic impact.

Studies, Reports

Antti Heinonen

3 March 2025

4 min read

Counterfeiting and Metrics – the Debate Continues

In the December issue of Currency News™ I wrote on whether note issuers are keeping ahead of the counterfeits, with an update on the latest counterfeiting data, using as one of the data points the ppm metric (parts per million, ie. the number of counterfeits detected versus the number of genuine notes in circulation). The following month, Duncan Reid wrote about the shortcomings of the ppm as a metric. It is great that the topic has raised debate, and Duncan’s article provides the few interesting viewpoints, which Currency News has invited me to comment on.

Counterfeiting

Astrid Mitchell

3 March 2025

5 min read

Central Banks and Cash Round-Up

Continuing with the periodic series of articles covering cash information in central bank annual reports, this month we travel to Korea, and also to South America, with a review of two countries, one small and stable (Uruguay) and the other larger and not so stable (Venezuela).

Central Banks

Astrid Mitchell

3 March 2025

11 min read

A Foot in Both Camps – How G+D is Navigating the Digital Transformation in Money

The landscape of currency is undergoing a significant transformation. While cash remains a fundamental means of payment, the rise of digital transactions and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) is reshaping the future of money.

Interviews

Astrid Mitchell

3 March 2025

5 min read

Positive Picture for Cash Companies Continues in 2024

Each February and March we cover the previous year’s results for the leading companies in cash management, most of whose financial years run from January to December. Between them these results provide a useful means of taking the pulse of our industry.

Comment Companies

Astrid Mitchell

3 March 2025

1 min read

Currency Data Now Available on Tap

Data both allows and creates questions. Answering questions generates information. Information allows decisions and actions. Without accurate, relevant, reliable, consistent, standardised and timely data, creating and delivering anything is hard, particularly change.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

3 March 2025

2 min read

Autentium – the New Polymer Substrate for Banknotes

Back in May last year we covered the pre-launch at the Banknote Conference of a new polymer substrate from Covestro, and in December the official launch under the name CERTEVO®. It appears we were premature, as that launch referred to the version intended for ID and secure document, not currency.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

3 March 2025

4 min read

In Other News…

The Bank of Zambia has announced the introduction of a new family of notes and coins, which will be introduced at the end of March.

News

Astrid Mitchell

3 March 2025

2 min read

Bahamas’ New Crisp Evolution $1 Green Banknote

The Central Bank of The Bahamas (CBB) has released its new CRISP Evolution $1 banknote. While the design remains basically the same as its predecessor, the previous note was printed on Giesecke + Devrient’s Hybrid™ substrate, while the updated version features its Hybrid ADDvance® substrate.

Banknotes