Latest News

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

4 min read

In Other News

Qatar Central Bank has issued new 5 and 10 riyal banknotes of the 5th Series with a modified design that includes Western numerals on the bottom left corner of the front of the notes, instead of the Arabic number.

News

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

4 min read

IACA Excellence in Currency Awards 2026 – the Winners Are…

This year there were five categories in the International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA) Excellence in Currency Awards. The winners of two were announced and presented at the Global Currency Forum at the end of April, and the remaining three at the Banknote Conference in Washington, DC in May.

Awards

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

5 min read

The Reality of Cash Discussed at the Global Currency Forum

Nearly 440 people gathered at a resort hotel in Antalya, Türkiye, at the end of April for the Global Currency Forum (GCF), organised by the International Currency Association (ICA).

Events

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

3 min read

DataVault Unlocked: QR Codes

Did you know that some banknotes have QR codes? A QR (quick-response) code is a two-dimensional (2D) matrix barcode consisting of black and white squares that stores encoded data, such as website URLs, text or contact information. When a user scans the QR code, which can be done using a smartphone, they gain access to information about the currency, the issuing institution, or the commemorative events celebrated in the design.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

4 min read

AI-Empowered Smart Banknote Printing at CBPM

China Banknote Printing & Minting Corporation’s (CBPM) development approach to banknote production is being driven by intelligent transformation and digital empowerment, both of which are being harnessed to strengthen technical innovation and propel growth.

Technology

Gustavo Ascenzo

1 June 2026

4 min read

A Structural Solution to the Counterfeiting Cycle

Make no mistake; modern-day counterfeiting is as much a threat to banknote security as it’s ever been. The ubiquity and availability of digital technology and now the rise of AI in our daily lives make it easier than ever for counterfeiters ply their trade.

Counterfeiting

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

2 min read

IN Groupe’s New Vibes

IN Groupe has announced Vibes Shift™, developed by its subsidiary SURYS, which specialises in optical and digital security solutions. Vibes Shift is an extension of Vibes, which launched in 2023, offering colour shift alongside movement.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

2 min read

De La Rue Advances Innovation with OPTILIGHT™

OPTILIGHT™ is De La Rue’s next-generation optical security platform for banknotes. It combines nano-science, advanced optical engineering, and proprietary algorithms to deliver intuitive visual effects for public authentication.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

2 min read

nanoDOVID®: Shaping Light into Security

IQ Structures (IQS) has launched nanoDOVID®, describing it as a breakthrough in optical security technology that offers a fundamentally new approach to protecting banknotes and identity documents.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

2 min read

Anima Colour — Inspired by Gemstones

Oberthur Fiduciaire unveiled two major additions to its Anima™ micro-optics platform – Anima™ Sign and Anima™ Colour – at the recent Global Currency Forum. Both innovations highlighted advances in machine readability and colour versatility, two increasingly important elements in next-generation banknote security, in addition to the integration of all the effects already available in Anima™.

Banknotes

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

3 min read

A Case Study in Making AI Work for You

At the Global Currency Forum (GCF), Jura presented their work on creating a next generation banknote design software extended with some AI functions. The presentation included a detailed review of the performance of different AI models set the task of producing an engraved portrait.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

11 min read

Royal Dutch Kusters Engineering – Where Banknote Destruction Meets Sustainability

One of the main most visual environmental impacts of banknotes is not in their production but their destruction – with incineration and landfill still being all-too-frequent methods of removal. In last month’s Currency News™, we reported on the results of the 2025 Banknote Recycling Study, the latest biennial survey from Royal Dutch Kusters Engineering (Kusters), which explored how central banks are handling the disposal of unfit notes in particular, and progress made (or not) since the previous survey of 2023.

Free Sustainability Free

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

6 min read

Central Banks and Cash Round-Up

This month, our periodic series of articles covering cash information in central bank annual reports focuses on Jamaica, Malaysia, Maldives, and Namibia.

Central Banks

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

5 min read

People in the News

Economist and financier Kevin Warsh has been confirmed as the new Chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, succeeding Jerome Powell, whose tenure over the past year has been marked by clashes with President Trump.

News

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

2 min read

RCM Resilient Amongst Uncertainty

In its annual report for 2025, the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) states that it navigated a complex operating environment, marked by economic volatility and geopolitical uncertainty.

Coins

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

1 min read

How did we get here?

You can’t move today for mention of AI, but we had expert systems as far back as the early 1970s.

Technology

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

2 min read

Loomis Expands into Peru with Acquisition of Hermes

The Swedish-based international provider of cash management solutions, Loomis AB, is making good on its strategy to expand in Latin America with its most significant acquisition to date, launching a Tender Offer Agreement (TOA) to acquire the Peruvian cash management firm Hermes Transportes Blindados SA. The enterprise value of approximately SEK 4 billion (US$380 million) on cash and debt free basis represents a 6.6x adjusted EBITDA multiple based on Hermes’ 2025 financial year.

Companies

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

4 min read

News In Brief

In what could be termed a new tactic for Russia in its war against Ukraine, it dropped fake banknotes with propaganda QR codes into some of Ukraine’s border regions ahead of its annual 9 May Victory Day celebrations.

News

Astrid Mitchell

1 June 2026

3 min read

A New Chapter in Currency Printing as De La Rue Opens Malta Supersite

After five years and an investment of c. €60 million, De La Rue’s new factory in Malta has been officially opened in the presence of the country’s Prime Minister, Robert Abela, and Silvio Schembri, Minister for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects. Described as a ‘supersite’, it will – says De La Rue – support the creation of world class, functionally excellent banknotes for the next 50 years and beyond.

Companies

Kerre Corbin

27 May 2026

2 min read

Naples Counterfeit Ring Smashed in Crypto-Telegram Sting

Italy’s Carabinieri have dismantled a major transnational criminal network that used Telegram and Bitcoin to distribute counterfeit euros across Europe. The crackdown, code-named ‘Operation Domino’, culminated in the Carabinieri Anti-Counterfeiting Command Cryptocurrency Section executing court orders against 12 suspects.

Counterfeiting