Web Directory: Banknotes

Banknotes issued by the State Bank of Albania from 1945 to 1992.

Banknotes issued by the National Bank of Albania from 1926 to 1945.

In her lifetime, Dame Nellie Melba achieved international recognition as a soprano. Melba debuted in 1887 in Verdi's Rigoletto in Brussels and went on to sing with great success in London, Paris, Milan, New York and other major cities. Her most famous role was Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème. Although she toured the world, Melba found time for civic work in Australia, including raising funds for war charities. Dame Nellie's homecoming in 1902 involved an Australian and New Zealand concert tour (the tour program is depicted on the banknote).

A core function of the Reserve Bank is to maintain public confidence in Australia's banknotes. Australia has one of the safest and most secure currencies in the world and has experienced relatively low levels of counterfeiting for many years. To ensure that this continues to be the case, the Reserve Bank researches anti-counterfeit technologies and developments in banknote design.The results of this work have culminated in a project to upgrade the security of Australia's banknotes.

Australia's banknotes represented a world first in currency manufacturing – they were the first full series to be printed on polymer (plastic). Polymer banknote technology was developed in Australia, jointly by the Reserve Bank and the CSIRO. The reason for introducing polymer banknotes was simple – to keep one step ahead of counterfeiters by making Australia's banknotes more secure. Polymer banknotes have the added benefit of being more durable than paper banknotes which, in turn, makes them more cost-effective.

Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson, a poet and ballad writer, was born in rural New South Wales. He began his career as a solicitor and achieved fame in his thirties after writing Waltzing Matilda and The Man from Snowy River, the themes of which are depicted in the designs of the banknote. In fact, his first book, The Man from Snowy River, sold out its first edition in a week and went through four editions in six months, making Paterson second only to Rudyard Kipling in popularity among living poets writing in English at that time.

The Museum tells the story of Australia’s banknotes against the background of the nation’s economic and social development, from colonial settlement through to the current era.

The first Australian banknotes were only produced a century ago but currency existed in Australia well before then. For instance Aboriginal trade was based on exchange and bartering, and when New South Wales was first established, colonists initially used other makeshift currencies such as rum.

The discovery of gold in 1851 led to the minting of Australia's own gold coins and spurred the development of banking. Commercial banks issued their own notes backed by gold, though people were often wary of them particularly after many banks failed in 1893. The Queensland Treasury also issued their own legal tender banknotes and prohibited private banks in the state from issuing their own notes.

The Federation $5 banknote features Sir Henry Parkes, a prominent politician often referred to as the ‘Father of Federation’; and Catherine Helen Spence, who led the way for women's rights in Australia. It was issued in 2001 to commemorate Australia's Centenary of Federation.

Mary Reibey built substantial business interests in property and shipping operations. Having assumed responsibility for her husband's enterprises after his death in 1811 and subsequently expanding them, Reibey earned a reputation as an astute and successful businesswoman in the colony of New South Wales. In later life, she became known for her charitable work and interest in the church and education. Images of the schooner Mercury and a building in George Street, Sydney, both of which Reibey owned, are shown on the banknote.

All previous issues of Australian banknotes retain their legal tender status. However, it is a long time since these banknotes were issued into circulation in Australia and some retailers or members of the public may be reluctant to accept them. People may be unfamiliar with the designs and may suspect the banknotes to be counterfeit.

A portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is shown on the front of the $5 banknote together with a sprig of eucalyptus. The portrait is drawn from photographs commissioned by the Reserve Bank in 1984. The Queen gave approval to use this portrait on an Australian banknote in 1988, and it appeared on the first $5 polymer banknote on 7 July 1992.
The back of the banknote features the Old and New Parliament Houses, which were opened in 1927 and 1988, respectively. The images are the designer's interpretation of various architectural drawings and photographs.
Above the images of the Old and New Parliament Houses is a plan of the New Parliament House. This was based on the Design Development Landscape Plan, which was provided by the Parliament House Construction Authority.

David Unaipon, a Ngarrindjeri man, made significant contributions to science, literature and improvements in conditions for Aboriginal people. Despite having no advanced education in mathematics, Unaipon researched many engineering problems and developed a number of his own inventions. In 1909, he patented an improved hand tool for sheep shearing, depicted on the front of the banknote. Unaipon gained a reputation as ‘Australia's Leonardo’ for his promotion of scientific ideas. He became the first published Aboriginal writer; his earliest published works included newspaper and magazine articles and a booklet entitled Native Legends, published in 1929.

The first banknotes in First Czechoslovak Republic were issues of the Austro-Hungarian Bank to which adhesive stamps were affixed. Denominations were of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 1000 korun (provisional issue). Regular banknotes of Czechoslovak koruna were subsequently issued (initially dated 15 April 1919) by the Republic of Czechoslovakia between 1919 and 1926, in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 korun. The Czechoslovak National Bank took over production in 1926, issuing notes for 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 korun. The new designs were made by Alfons Mucha, one of the founders of Art Nouveau and a Slavic nationalist. The urgency of the task led him to reuse a previous portrait of Josephine Crane Bradley as Slavia for the 100 koruna bill.

In 1945, four kinds of banknotes of Czechoslovak koruna were introduced. The first were issues of Bohemia and Moravia and Slovakia, to which adhesive stamps were affixed. Denominations issued were 100, 500 and 1000 korun. The second (dated 1944) were printed in the Soviet Union and were issued in denominations of 1, 5, 20, 100, 500 and 1000 korun. The third were locally printed notes issued by the government in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 korun. The fourth were issues of the Czechoslovak National Bank, in denominations of 1000 and 5000 korun. The National Bank issued 500 korun notes from 1946, whilst the government continued to issue notes between 5 and 100 korun, the 1 korun note being replaced by a coin in 1946.

The first banknotes of the third Czechoslovak koruna were issued by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in denominations of 1, 3 and 5 korun (state notes) and by the State Bank in denominations of 10, 25, 50 and 100 korun (banknotes). From 1958, new 25, 10, 100 and finally 50 Kčs banknotes were designed, and the state notes were gradually replaced by coins during the 1960s. The 20 Kčs banknote was printed from 1970 to replace the 25 Kčs note. The 500 Kčs banknote appeared in 1973. Starting with the 1000 Kčs banknote in 1985, a new, more uniform series (designer: Albín Brunovský) was issued adding a new denomination each year. This process was interrupted by the fall of the communism (and finally by the dissolution of the country) : the new 100 Kčs note issued in 1989 depicted Klement Gottwald, a prominent communist and was speedily withdrawn after the Velvet Revolution. A new 500 Kčs banknote was never issued.

The Central Bank of Belize Act gives the Bank the sole right to issue notes and coins in Belize. The Bank issued 2003, 1998, and 1990 notes which illustrate the rich variety of Belizean wildlife, national culture and historic sites. The 1983 issue of the Bank maintained the design of notes issued under the Monetary Authority of Belize and are the liability of the Bank. In 2012, the Bank issued a twenty dollar commemorative circulation Banknote to celebrate its 30th anniversary. This note depicts the Jabiru Stork in flight as well as the Headquarters of the Bank, symbolizing the strength and stability of the Belizean economy.

Get to know contemporary upgraded Lari Banknotes in denominations of 20, 50 and 100 lari improved in quality and conforming to the latest international standards.

There are two series of euro banknotes. The first series consists of the €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500. The new Europa series currently comprises the €5, €10 and €20 and will include the €50, €100 and €200 banknotes in due course. The banknotes from both series are legal tender in the 19 countries of the euro area.

There are five currency notes issued by the Bank of Guyana. The denominations are as follows: Twenty Dollars, Fifty Dollars, One Hundred Dollars, Five Hundred Dollars, One Thousand Dollars, Five Thousand Dollars.

The theme of the notes is bridges of Denmark and ancient Danish artifacts found in the vicinity of the bridges. The Danish artist Karin Birgitte Lund was selected to design the 2009 series after a competition. The competition specified the bridges theme as mandatory, and it was her idea to include the artifacts on the reverse side.

The sizes of the 2009 bank notes are identical to the 1997 bank notes, in order to avoid alterations to automated teller machines. The height is 72 millimetres and the lengths are from 125 mm to 165 mm, increasing by 10 mm for each new value.

The Centrale Bank van Curacao en Sint Maarten 1998 bank-note series is largely based on the well-received 'bird' series, which was brought into circulation in 1986.

The advancing counterfeiting technology prompted for an added number of security features. In this improved 1998 series, a number of new features have been introduced while trying to maintain - as much as possible - the original design.

The eighth banknote series will gradually be replaced by the ninth in a process scheduled to take place between 2016 and 2019. The first denomination in the new series – the 50-franc note – has been in circulation since 12 April 2016. The 20-franc note is planned for the following year. The remaining banknotes will subsequently be issued at half-yearly or yearly intervals. The SNB will announce each new date well in advance. Issuance of the entire new series is expected to be completed by 2019. Notes from the eighth banknote series remain valid until further notice.

Paper currency in use in New Zealand comprises bank notes issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand which, as the central bank, has the sole right of note issue. For nearly 80 years prior to 1 August 1934, when the Reserve Bank commenced business, the trading banks had the right to issue notes. On the establishment of the Reserve Bank, this right was withdrawn. Two years later, on 1 August 1936, the Reserve Bank assumed liability for all trading bank notes outstanding, then some £549,000; in 1976 all such notes will be deemed to be no longer in circulation and will be treated as unclaimed moneys. At the end of 1963 the value of outstanding trading bank notes was £346,000. It is probable that a substantial proportion are either in collections or have been lost or destroyed.

Euro banknotes in pictures.

Banknotes.

In the period 2009-2011, Danmarks Nationalbank issued new Danish banknotes. They were given new security features, making it even more difficult to counterfeit or copy genuine banknotes. The banknotes were designed by the artist Karin Birgitte Lund and have Danish bridges and prehistoric finds as their motifs.

In 2012, Danmarks Nationalbank issued an updated version of the Faroese banknote series with new security features. The motifs are Faroese animals and Faroese landscapes.

Austro-Hungarian gulden paper money first appeared after 1881. The inscriptions on the banknotes were in German on the one side and in Hungarian on the other, however, the design for both sides was similar. The banknotes were issued by the Austro-Hungarian Bank and their value was guaranteed with gold cover as enacted in the Banking Act. State notes were issued by the treasury and had no such cover. The banknotes and state notes took part equally in the circulation.

Banknotes : British Mandate (1927 - 1946).

A new family of currency is issued with a new portrait of His Majesty King Tupou VI. Our Banknotes also feature state of the art security technologies that make our banknotes secure to have and use. Here are some of the key security features to look out for.

In the menu on the left you can find information on the banknotes series issued 1945-1997. All banknotes issued after 1945 can be exchanged for new banknotes.

Reserve Bank notes are printed in London by Thomas de la Rue and Co. Ltd. In order to maintain the quality of the notes in use by the public and also to ensure that adequate stocks are available to meet day to day requirements, it is necessary for the Reserve Bank to order well ahead and to forecast likely needs. The average life of all notes except the two highest denominations is estimated at less than one year; for a £10 note it is estimated at 15 months, and for the £50 note, which has a restricted use, at about three years. As notes circulate and become dirty or worn, they are withdrawn from circulation, cancelled and destroyed, new ones being issued. In 1963 a total of over 60 million note forms were destroyed in keeping with the policy of maintaining a good quality issue.

The monetary unit of Bosnia and Herzegovina is “convertible mark” (KM).

The latest series of Malaysian banknotes draws its inspiration from elements which distinctively define the country's diverse culture, heritage and nature. Themed 'Distinctively Malaysia', the fourth series of Malaysian banknotes features traditional expressions in the art and craft, natural wonders, flora and fauna, economy and tradition.

Paper quality: 100% Cotton paper for the notes bearing the series no. 2006 and Hybrid substrate (cotton + Polymer) for the notes bearing series no. 2013.

In 1964, the Bahrain Currency Board was established and issued a new family of Bahraini Dinar banknotes and coins on 7th October 1965. The new banknotes and coins, which replaced the Gulf Rupee, contained the following note denominations: BD10, BD5, BD1, BD1/2 and BD1/4 with coin denominations as follows, 100 fils, 50 fils, 25 fils, 10 fils, 5 fils and 1 fil.

Eesti Pank will exchange Estonian banknotes and coins for euros indefinitely. From the beginning of 2012 kroons can be exchanged for euros at the Eesti Pank Museum at the central exchange rate (1 euro = 15.6466 Estonian kroons) and without any service fee, in unlimited amounts and for an unlimited period of time.

The Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan has issued ngultrum 100 denomination banknotes to commemorate the 13 October 2011 royal wedding of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Ashi Jetsun Pema wangchuck. The notes is available for sale.

New family of banknotes and coins issued into circulation in December 2016.

This site is compiled from information from Charles Hunt's research of Tongan Notes. It contains details of notes in his collection and notes seen on eBay and in dealers' stock and lists. Individual pages contain details of all overprinting dates, signature combinations and serial numbers of notes in his collection or seen in catalogues or elsewhere.

Banknotes : Issues Prior to the Establishment of the Bank of Israel (1948 - 1953).

Images of Egyptian banknotes.

Commemorative Coins by the Central Bank of Seychelles.

Banknotes : Lira Series (1955 - 1975).

Banknotes : Sheqel Series (1978 - 1984).

Banknotes : New Sheqel / New Shekel Series (1985 - present).

Banknotes : Presentation Sets.

Please note that the Central Bank of The Bahamas does not sell Bahamian banknotes to the general public.

Banknotes : Specimen Issues.

The new €50 banknote was unveiled at the ECB in Frankfurt am Main, Germany on 5 July 2016. It is the fourth banknote of the Europa series and follows the new €5, €10 and €20 notes, which have already been issued. The new €50 banknote will start circulating on 4 April 2017.

On 1 January 2002 euro banknotes were put into circulation in the 12 euro area countries. There are seven denominations of different sizes and colours each: €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500. Banknotes are legal tender throughout the euro area.

Euro banknotes feature the architectural styles from seven different periods in Europe’s cultural history – classical, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, baroque and rococo, the age of iron and glass and modern 20th century architecture – without depicting any specific monument of any EU country.

The figures below illustrate the set of local coins currently in circulation. The coins are in denominations 5 Rupees, 1 Rupee, 25 Cents, 10 Cents, 5 Cents and 1 Cent. These coins have been issued from 1982 to 2015.

The banknotes of Denmark, 1972 series are part of the physical form of Denmark's currency, the Krone (kr). They have been issued solely by Danmarks Nationalbank since 1 August 1818. They are still valid but are no longer printed. The theme of the notes is paintings by Jens Juel (1745–1802) of various more or less famous people on the front sides and common animals in Denmark on the back sides.

Banknotes of Scotland are the banknotes of the Pound Sterling that are issued by the Scottish banks and in circulation in Scotland. The issuing of banknotes by retail banks in Scotland is subject to the Bank Charter Act 1844, the Banknotes (Scotland) Act 1845, the Currency and Bank Notes Act 1928, and the Coinage Act 1971. Currently, three retail banks are allowed to print notes for circulation in Scotland: Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Clydesdale Bank.

Sterling banknotes are the banknotes in circulation in the United Kingdom and its related territories, denominated in pounds sterling (symbol: £; ISO 4217 currency code GBP [Great Britain pound]).

Euro banknotes exist in seven different denominations: €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500.

Banknotes : Uncut & Partially Cut Sheets.

The Government, through the HKMA, has given authorization to three commercial banks, namely The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited and the Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, to issue banknotes in Hong Kong. Authorization is accompanied by a set of terms and conditions agreed between the Government and these three note-issuing banks. Banknotes are issued by the note-issuing banks, or redeemed, against payment to, or from, the Exchange Fund in US dollars, at a specified rate of US$1 to HK$7.80 under the Linked Exchange Rate system. Banknotes issued by the note-issuing banks are printed in Hong Kong by Hong Kong Note Printing Limited (HKNPL).

Banknotes of Ukrainian hryvnia are the banknotes or bills (in common lexicon) of Ukraine, denominated in Ukrainian hryvnias (UAH, ₴). Currently, they are issued in denominations of ₴1, ₴2, ₴5, ₴10, ₴20, ₴50, ₴100, ₴200, ₴500. All current notes are issued by the National Bank of Ukraine, which released its first series of notes in 1991. The current series of hryvnia banknotes were introduced into circulation between 2004 and 2006. Banknotes issued in Ukraine can be viewed at the Currency Museum of the National Bank of Ukraine in Kiev.

New Family of Vatu Notes.

Since the beginning of the circulation of gold and silver coins had been in circulation 1834, there was no specified monetary unit represent the basis of the monetary system in Egypt. Only few coins were minted locally. In 1834, it was decreed to issue an Egyptian currency relied gold & silver metals base. By virtue of that decree minting coins in the form of gold and silver riyals had become a governmental monopoly. In 1836 the Egyptian pound was minted and issued for circulation.

Watermark: Running along the border of notes at the top and bottom showing part of the wording "Royal Monetary Authority.
Intaglio Printing: The name of the Issuing Authority ie Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan on the face of the note in Dzongkha and in English on the reverse, denomination in English and Dzongkha, guarantee and promise clause, RMA Chairman's signature are printed in intaglio i.e. in raised prints, which can be felt by touch. Fluorescence: Fluorescence fiber yellow which is not visible to naked eye but visible only under ultraviolet light.

The Irish Free State, subsequently known as Ireland, resolved in the mid-1920s to design its own coins and banknotes; at the time of the currency's first issue, the Free State government decided to peg its value to the pound sterling. The Currency Act, 1927 was passed as a basis for the creation of banknotes and the creation of the "Saorstát pound" (later the "Irish pound") as the "standard unit of value" and the legal tender notes issued under this act commenced circulation on 10 September 1928.

On Tuesday 7th June, 2011, the Central Bank of Seychelles issued upgraded 50, 100 and 500 Seychelles rupee banknotes with upgraded design, colour and security features. The previous 50,100 and 500 rupee banknotes still in circulation at the time were gradually withdrawn from circulation but still remain legal tender banknotes and can continue to be used alongside the upgraded 50, 100 and 500 rupee banknotes.

Danmarks Nationalbank issues banknotes of the Danish Krone (kr.) and has replaced the 1997 banknote series as of 24 May 2011.

The issue of the 1997 series commenced on 10 March 1997 with the debut of the 200 kr. denomination, issued to bridge the gap between the 100 kr. and 500 kr. denominations.

Commencing on 27 November 2002 the Nationalbank improved the security features for future banknotes of the 1997 series, starting with the 100 kr. denomination.

Jamaican banknotes are issued in denominations of $50, $100, $500, $1000 and $5000. The notes are all of the same size (145 x 68 mm). Each note has a unique watermark, namely the portrait that is featured on the particular note. The serial number appears twice on the face of each note, vertically to the left of the portrait and horizontally on the far right of the note. Each edition of the note carries the date of printing and the signature of the Governor of the Bank of Jamaica. Special symbols to aid the visually impaired appear on the front of all notes except the $1000 and $5000. Instead, these high value notes have their denomination printed in bold numerals to the bottom right hand corner. The front of each note bears the portrait of either a Jamaican national hero or a former Prime Minister, where as local scenes and popular landmarks appear on the back.

When Aruba obtained its Status Aparte within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986, the florin, which was pegged to the U.S. dollar, became the official currency of the island. Pursuant to the Central Bank Ordinance, the Centrale Bank van Aruba was entrusted with the responsibility for the issuance of the florin bank notes. During the period 1986 to 1989, transitorial bank notes were issued by the Bank. In 1990 and 1993, new sets of florin bank notes were issued, which were designed by Mr. Evelino Fingal and printed at "Joh. Enschedé en Zonen" in the Netherlands. Furthermore, the Bank issues coins on behalf of the government. The coins are also designed by Mr. Fingal and minted by the "Nederlandse Munt N.V.". The copyright on Aruban banknotes is owned by the Centrale Bank van Aruba.