News

Swiss National Bank takes top honors in bank note awards contest

April 30, 2019

The Regional Bank note of the Year Awards, part of the High Security Printing EMEA Conference recently held in Malta, have been conferred on winners in three categories: best new series; best new bank note; and best new commemorative bank note.

The Swiss National Bank won best new bank note series for its entry, "The Many Facets of Switzerland," which the judges determined had broken new ground in terms of design and security, with many features being used for the first time, according to a press release.

The three-layer Durasafe bank note substrate consists of two outer layers of cotton paper and a polymer core, as well as a variety of transparent and semi-transparent windows.

One of the main security features is a two-color Kinegram volume stripe, combined with a partially metalized Kinegram incorporating denomination numbers in two colors, a map of Switzerland, its language region and the names of all the Swiss cantons. Another key device is an optically variable Spark feature printed as a shimmering globe.

Other special features include a window, two watermarks, a see-through feature, UV and IR features, microprint, intaglio, security thread, security fibers and Microperf. 

The Bulgarian National Bank won best new bank note for a 100 leva note that incorporates a dynamic stripe synchronized to a dynamic rectangular checkered field in a security thread (both technologies developed by Louisenthal) and to a Spark Live feature.

Other security features include tri-color paper-embedded security fibers that can be seen under UV light, microprint and a three-dimensional watermark combined with the highlight inscription 'BNB,' visible on both sides in transmission view.

The South African Reserve Bank won best new commemorative bank note for a series celebrating the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela. This is the first time a complete series of commemorative notes has been issued, the release said