The bank note awards season is not over yet. The latest honors were bestowed at a special ceremony during the dinner at the High Security Printing Latin America conference held in Santiago, Chile, on June 4 and organized by Reconnaissance International Ltd.
The Central Bank of Suriname was presented the “Best New Banknote” award for its two new high denomination notes, the 200- and 500-Suriname-dollar notes issued earlier this year. Much of Suriname’s economy is based on forestry and agriculture, so the bank chose the Green Banknote from Louisenthal, an environmentally friendly and durable substrate, which was suitable for the application of advanced security measures. The substrate is described as a mix of organic cotton and certified cellulose that is claimed to reduce carbon emissions by 63% compared to paper made from normally grown cotton. The main security features also have an environmentally friendly bent — the security threads and patches are both made from 70% recycled polyester.
The “Best New Series” winner was the Banco Central de Reserva del Peru, which in 2023 completed the introduction of Peru’s family of new notes with the 200-sole note. It was the country’s first full currency redesign since 1991. The new 10- and 100-sole pieces were put into circulation in 2021, and the 20- and 50-sole notes a year later. The 200-sole note release in December completed the series.
The series was designed by De La Rue with note faces dedicated to Peruvian 20th century figures in the arts, literature, history and science, and backs illustrating indigenous fauna and flora. The backs have a vertical orientation for the first time.
The presenter describes Peru’s award winner as a collective effort between suppliers, with De La Rue’s design, different printers for the individual denominations, and two suppliers of security threads. The 10-, 20-, and 100-sole notes have a 4-millimeter-wide RollingStar security thread from Louisenthal, and the 50- and 200-sole notes have a Rapid Detect thread from Crane.
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank won its third award of the year, winning “Best New Commemorative Banknote 2024” for its polymer $2 bank note with cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards. Designed and manufactured by De La Rue for the bank’s 40th anniversary, the vividly multicolored note is the first to use an aqua-blue tinted holographic foil.
This note already won the International Bank Note Society’s Banknote of the Year 2023 award in mid-May and won the commemorative bank note category in the International Association of Currency Affairs Excellence in Currency Awards two days later.
The quality and innovation shown in the Casa de Moneda de Chile’s 281 house note resulted in a special award. The name of the note (281) represents the age of Casa de Moneda, which was created on Oct. 1, 1743, by Royal Decree of King Felipe V of Spain. It is Chile’s second house note on polymer and was produced in collaboration with CCL Secure with geography and marine themes.
The vertically oriented face features the seabed, waves, and a native black dolphin. The horizontally oriented back shows southern Chile’s Osorno volcano reflected in Lake Llanquihue. The award citation says, “artificial intelligence was used to support the design process, enabling ultra realistic images and dynamic effects.”
The note has several features specific to CCL Secure’s Guardian substrate, including the first application of Vivid Reveal in a window. It appears as a gray rock and seaweed in normal light, but reveals brilliant colors under ultraviolet light.
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