The International Bank Note Society's (IBNS) "Banknote of 2010" is Uganda's 50,000-shilling note. This year, for the first time, the award was decided by a popular vote by members of the IBNS, rather than by a committee, and the award shows a strong appreciation of the 50,000-shilling note among a large community of banknote enthusiasts. From thirteen nominations, voting indicated a strong preference for the Ugandan note from the time voting was made available to members on the IBNS web site www.theIBNS.org in mid February.

The highest denomination in a series of six notes introduced in May 2010, the 50,000-shilling note has strong design elements consistent with the series. These elements include the watermark of the head of a crested crane, an outline of a map of Uganda (highlighting the equator), the profile of man wearing Karimojong head dress, patterns based on indigenous basket work and, at the far right on the back, the Independence Monument. Erected to celebrate Ugandan independence in October 1962, the statue is of a woman wrapped in bonds lifting a child above her head, celebrating the birth of the nation.

On the front of the award-winning note the "Stride Monument" is at the left, the Bwindi tropical rain forest is illustrated at the centre left, a foil strip with the denomination and images of shields at centre right and an area for the watermark at the far right. The Stride Monument was erected to celebrate the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Kampala in 2007. Depicting a husband, wife and son stepping forward, the monument symbolizes the countries of the Commonwealth progressing as a family.

The back of the note is dominated by illustrations of silver back mountain gorillas and undoubtedly these amazing animals attract people to the notes and their depiction is one of the reasons the 50,000-shilling note was so popular amongst the IBNS members voting for the award. Apart from the gorillas, there is much which is attractive about the note, such as the good use of colour – particularly the brown, which might have made the note appear dull if used inappropriately, and the golden highlights which capture attention. Strong images, well depicted, add to the quality design of the note and good use of security features for a high-denomination note enhances the overall effect.

Printed by British security printers De La Rue, the note was designed in co-operation with the Bank of Uganda. This successful collaboration has seen an impressive series of banknotes introduced to Uganda and it has produced the award-winning note in the competition for the IBNS Banknote of 2010. The IBNS congratulates the Bank of Uganda and De La Rue for its achievement.

50,000 Shilling scans courtesy of Yuri Minkin and this article courtesy of IBNS.

The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) has chosen Bermuda's $2 note, issued as part of an entirely new series in 2009, as the Banknote of 2009. Each year the IBNS recognizes an exceptional banknote issued in the previous year and, from nine very impressive nominations issued in 2009, the Bermuda $2 note was a clear winner.

The award-winning note portrays the Bermuda Bluebird (Sialia sialis) on the front and the Dockyard Clock Tower and Statue of Neptune on the back. As with all notes in the new Bermuda series, the head of HM Queen Elizabeth II appears in a reduced format on the front of the note, the portrait being a mirror of the Machin Head design which appears on the postage stamps of the Royal Mail.

The members of the IBNS Board, who chose the winning note, considered the Bermuda $2 note an example of the most attractive elements which create interest among the ever-widening community of banknote collectors and those who take an interest in the development of paper money. They said the combination of colours were appealing and blended well throughout all components of the design. Additionally, the range of items depicted on the note were attractively presented and allowed the eye to linger and to search for natural and historical design elements which were not immediately apparent.

One of the factors recommending the note to the judges was an interesting array of security features, despite its low face value. These include an Optiks™ embedded metallic thread, with an aperture on the front depicting the island; a Hibiscus watermark on the top section on the front; the Cornerstone™—a watermark feature on the four corners of the note enhancing the durability of the banknote; and, on the back, the Gemini™ feature portraying a compass which fluoresces in two colours under UV light.

Manufactured by De La Rue and released as part of a new series by the Bermuda Monetary Authority in February 2009, the series was the first major re-design of Bermudian banknotes for 40 years. The object of the series was to present depictions of Bermuda, with the series reflecting the natural beauty of the flora and fauna of the island on one side and the island’s architectural heritage on the other.

Working from a detailed brief from the Bermuda Monetary Authority, the initial concept designs for the series were created by Gene Bothwick, one of De La Rue's long-serving designers, who retired in 2007 after 23 years of service. These concepts were then developed for production by the De La Rue banknote Preliminaries Department with input and guidance from the Monetary Authority.

The IBNS congratulates the Bermuda Monetary Authority and De La Rue on an exceptional banknote.

2 Dollars scans courtesy of YBNOTES and this article courtesy of IBNS.

After reviewing government banknote issues worldwide last year, the International Bank Note Society (IBNS) has selected their Banknote of the Year from among the many countries that issued new currency designs in 2008. This year, the International Bank Note Society's Board of Directors has chosen as the most attractive new issue of 2008, the Central Bank of Samoa's 20-tala note. Samoa's 20-tala banknote beat eight other banknotes nominated by IBNS members, two of which were also from the Pacific region.

With striking, eye-catching yellow and gold colours and bold and innovative security devices, the 20-tala note easily eclipsed its competition in the views of the IBNS judges. The judges liked the Central Bank's emphasis on tourism, achieved by highlighting one of the nation's picturesque waterfalls - a refreshing departure from the standard practice of portraying famous persons on paper money. The reverse design was also praised for featuring Samoa's national bird, the Manumea, and the national flower, the Teuila; the two symbolizing the uniqueness of Samoa's natural environment.

Sharing the spotlight with the Central Bank of Samoa is the designer and printer of the banknote, UK-based De La Rue Currency, one of the world's foremost producers of paper money and securities. De La Rue's creative blend of state-of-the-art security features and design elements maintains its long tradition of superior banknote design and printing, significantly adding to the appeal of the 20-tala banknote, according to the IBNS Board.

The International Bank Note Society is proud to commend the Central Bank of Samoa and De La Rue for producing and issuing the Banknote of 2008.

This article courtesy of IBNS.

The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) is delighted to announce that the Bank of Scotland's 50-pound note has been awarded the Society's Banknote of the Year for a bank note issued in 2007.

In a ceremony today (18th April 2008) in the Bank's Edinburgh Head Office, representatives of the IBNS presented certificates and medals marking this award to Graeme Donald, Head of Industry and Products, Payment Services at HBOS plc, the parent company of Bank of Scotland plc; and Stuart Rost, Banknote Designer at De La Rue Currency.

The IBNS judges considered the 50-pound note to be a bold design and an outstanding representative of the new series of notes issued by the Bank of Scotland in September 2007. Dominating the note is an ethereal portrait of Sir Walter Scott giving the note an intriguing ambience considering the range of traditional and modern features on the note. Sir Walter has appeared on many notes issued by the Bank of Scotland, but this is the first representation of Scott based on the famous portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn, painted in 1822. The innovative depiction of Scott is one aspect of the note that found favour with the judges.

Blessed with generous proportions, the note is impressive to hold and uses the available space to excellent effect. The front of the note has been designed around Scott's portrait and incorporates a range of security features, the most evident of which are a hologram on a foil patch and a wide micro-printed security thread with colour shifting effect (red to green). These elements create a framework around which are images of the Bank’s historic headquarters in Edinburgh, its coat of arms, the Bank of Scotland's logo and, very much subordinated to the dominating portrait of Scott, the promissory text. In contrast to this, the denomination numerals are set out in dramatically bold fashion using a clean simple font style.

The back of the note is if anything even more dramatic. It features one of Scotland's most exciting contemporary engineering and architectural achievements, the Falkirk Wheel. The minimal text, again in bold and simple style, serves to enhance the drama of the central feature, to hugely impressive effect.

Contributing to the judges' decision was the combination of traditional skills and modern technology used by the note's designers, De La Rue Currency - especially the fact that the portrait engraving was produced using computer generated patterns and was not hand-engraved in the traditional way.

The 50-pound note was a clear winner in this year's competition, impressing the judges with its artistic and technical excellence, its unusual and innovative design and its superior production. The IBNS congratulates Bank of Scotland plc and De La Rue Currency on their outstanding achievement.

50 Pounds scans courtesy of YBNOTES and this article courtesy of IBNS.

The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) is proud to announce the winner of the IBNS Bank Note of 2006, awarded to the finest banknote issued in 2006. This year's award goes to the 1,000-franc note issued by the Banque Centrale des Comores, the central bank of the Comoros, an archipelago located between Madagascar and the east coast of southern Africa. Commendations go to the 10,000-tenge note from Kazakhstan and 100-dollar note from the Solomon Islands.

The IBNS Bank Note of the Year is awarded to the banknote which, in the eyes of the judges, has a high level of artistic merit, an imaginative design, and features that present the best of modern security printing (taking into account the value of the note). The Comoran 1,000-franc note impressed the judges with innovative design, well-balanced color, and sensible use of modern security features.

The front of the 1,000-franc note is dominated by a coelacanth, a pre-historic fish long thought to be extinct, that was found living in the waters off the Comoros in recent years. Its discovery put the Comoros at the centre of the scientific world for a short time and remains one of the small country’s claims to fame. Below the piscine curiosity is an aerial view of several islands that make up the country. Predominantly blue, there are red and green elements to the design on the front of the note.

Poetry is common to the entire series of notes to which the 1,000 franc belongs, with a verse appearing on the front and the back of each note. The verse on the front of the 1,000-franc note can be translated from French as:

From our feelings, what you expect I understood
For it is a love that is so absolutely exclusive
That, not to lose you, I hereby consent.
Truthfully, it will be a love
That our times have never seen.

Continued on the back of the note is a further verse which translates as:

I claim these different names which are ours
and if I speak the rainbow
It is to better greet our Indian Ocean sea-mother
whose waves of pleasures brings
to insularity abundance and joy

The final line below the verse identifies the author, Mab Elhad, and the book in which his verse appears: Kaulu la Mwando (meaning First Word in the Comoran language). The book was published in 2004 and the verses of the author, a Comoran policeman, celebrate his Comoran life and nationality.

The back of the award-winning note is dominated by a Comoran man in a canoe, surrounded by red and blue designs of differing character. While the name of the issuing authority is in Arabic on the back of the note, the warning to counterfeiters is in French (reflecting the nation's French past).

Despite a low face value (approximately US$2.70 at current exchange rates), the 1,000-franc note sports an impressive array of security features. Portions of the design are printed with the intaglio process, imparting a tactile element to the raised ink, along with the latent image created by the BCC embossed above the signatures. Counterfeiting is made more difficult through the use of microtext, incorporation of a perfect-registration device, and the inclusion of Omron rings. The paper contains an embedded security strip that fluoresces under UV light, and a watermark of a crescent moon, four stars, and the letters BCC. Finally there is an iridescent band on the front of the note that can be seen only when tilting the note at an angle to the light.

While the elements of the design, the security features, and the production of the note are not unusual as individual elements, it is the sum of the whole that lifts the note above the ordinary and which made this note a clear winner as the IBNS Bank Note of the Year.

Every nation should strive to create individual masterpieces for their paper money; unfortunately this is not always the case. However, with the issue of the new series by the Comoros, it is pleasing to see that at least one issuing authority is successful in meeting the expectations of banknote enthusiasts around the world. The IBNS congratulates the Banque Centrale des Comores and the designers of its 1,000-franc note.

This article courtsy of IBNS.

The International Bank Note Society is pleased to announce that the 1000-kronur note issued by the Faeroe Islands, is the Society's "Bank Note of the Year" for a banknote issued during 2005. The choice of this note was by a clear majority, with the note being extremely well regarded by the panel of judges.

The 1000-kronur banknote is the last note, and the highest denomination, in a series of banknotes issued by the Faeroe Islands over the last couple of years. This series has attracted much attention in the collecting world because of the unusual designs on the notes. In all cases, only a fragment of an animal has been used as the principal design element on the front of each note, with the animal being depicted in detailed intaglio printing. The background to the illustrations on the front of each note, and the illustrations on the back, have a washed effect. This effect is largely due to watercolour paintings being the medium for the original illustrations, which were drawn by Zacharias Heinesen.

The front of the award-winning 1000-kronur note is dominated by a partially depicted purple sandpiper. Viewed from behind, while in full flight, the fine detail of the bird's feathers are apparent, whilst a distant flock of birds completes the illustration. The contrast, between the detail of the sandpiper and the indistinct sky with the far-off flock of birds, results in an ethereal image, which gives the note much of its appeal. The back of the note carries a view from the island of Sandoy, with the scene appearing misty and remote, complementing the image on the front.

There is a skill in producing artwork for a banknote and the Faeroese notes are unusual in basing their illustrations on watercolours. Most banknotes are based on designs specifically crafted for the engraver, with black and white photographs or pen drawings often being the basis for the final design. Designs copied from paintings have not, with some notable exceptions, proved particularly successful. That the designers have successfully adapted Heinesen’s work for this note is one of the impressive and attractive elements of the design.

As well as the note being unusual and attractive, the 1000-kronur is also a fine example of the work of a modern security printer. At the far right, on the front of the note, is a security thread that is partially embedded in the paper and which has an iridescent covering; while at the top left is a hologram with a motif based on a design from a church pew in Kirkjubour. Additionally, Orion dots are used at the far left and on the back of the notes, in an effort to prevent the notes from being copied.

The Society's "Bank Note of the Year" recognizes an outstanding contribution to the development of paper money. In considering the nominations for the "Bank Note of the Year", the judges must weigh a number of points. Three of these points are:

•The banknote must have artistic merit
•Imaginative designs will be well considered
•Good use of colour, contrast and general balance will be well considered

For each of these points the 1000-kronur note met the highest expectations, while for other criteria, such as modern security features, the note was realized to hold great merit. With banknotes being regularly issued around the world, designers are always increasing the beauty and enhancing the security of banknotes, while at the same time maintaining their utility. With regular demand to increase the merit of their output, issuing authorities can often overlook the combination of beauty, security and utility that have been in evidence for hundred of years. The International Bank Note Society congratulates the Faeroe Islands and the Danish National Bank in their effort to continue a tradition that has contributed so much to the heritage of many nations.

1,000 Kronur scans courtesy of Yuri Minkin and this article courtesy of IBNS.

The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) has announced their inaugural "Bank Note of the Year". The winning entry for 2005, for notes issued during 2004, is the Bank of Canada's 20-dollar note. Released in September 2004, this note has quickly become a favourite amongst collectors. The IBNS "Bank Note of the Year" is awarded to a bank note issued during the preceding year and it is judged on artistic merit, design, and security features. There were ten nominations considered by the judges and the winning entry only just beat the new Faeroese 200-krone bank note.

The 20-dollar note issued by the Bank of Canada carries a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the front of the note and artwork by Bill Reid on the back of the note. Reid's artwork is inspired by the Haida culture of the northwest coast of Canada. Notes bearing a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II are very popular amongst paper money collectors, with many specialist collections being built around the numerous portraits of Her Majesty that are used on world bank notes. The portrait used on the award-winning design of the 20-dollar note is probably the finest portrait of the mature monarch to appear on any bank note, and the quality of the portrait is one of the reasons the note was well regarded by the judges. Significantly, the 20-dollar note also carries the most modern security features, with an advanced holographic stripe, a high quality watermark, a colour-shifting security thread, and highly-developed fluorescent features, amongst other lesser features.

The runner-up for the Bank Note of 2004 was the 200-krone note issued in January 2004 by the Danmarks Nationalbank for the Faeroe Islands. This note joins an innovative and successful series of notes that depict various forms of animal life on the Faeroe Islands. The 200-krone note depicts a Ghost Moth printed in intaglio amongst blades of grass printed from a watercolour painted by Zacharias Heinesen. On the back of the note is a motif of Tindholmur near Vagar, which is also from a watercolour painted by Heinesen. The 200-krone note carries advanced security features, with a hologram, micro-printing and multiple security threads, one of which is a windowed colour-shifting thread.

While the Canadian 20-dollar note was chosen for its well-balanced design, strong images, and advanced security features, it was the innovative design and artistic merit of the Faeroese note that saw it narrowly beaten into second place. The IBNS wishes to congratulate the Bank of Canada and the Danmarks Nationalbank for issuing these first-class bank notes, which continue a tradition fine art and progressive printing that have been evident in bank notes for hundreds of years.

This article courtesy of IBNS.