SMI is the acknowledged world leader in the provision of independent technical & commercial expertise to the currency industry. Founded in 1994, SMI consultants each have many years’ experience working in the currency industry, and consequently have extensive knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the banknote and coin markets, offering consultancy services on a range of issues related to the security, manufacture, issue, circulation and management of physical cash in the economy.
The Central Bank of the Solomon Islands has issued a new $100 banknote. The new note is the second to be issued from the Solomon Island’s latest series of banknotes, following the $50 banknote issued in 2013. The theme of the note, which was designed and printed in collaboration with De La Rue, is rural…
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has today issued a press release advising of a security thread upgrade to all its banknote denominations except for the $5. The Bank advises that the upgrade is “in keeping with the advancement in technology to prevent counterfeiting”. Read the ECCB press release here. | See ECCB banknote…
The first fully polymer banknote to be circulated in Great Britain has been launched this week by Clydesdale Bank. The new plastic £5 banknote is available from Clydesdale Bank branches from today, a year before the Bank of England plans to issue its own polymer banknotes. The limited edition banknote is being launched to coincide…
The Royal Mint has today revealed the design of the new one pound coin, which has the same shape as the old 12-sided threepence piece (3d) last used in 1971. The reverse (“tails”) side of the coin has been designed by 15 year old David Pearce from Walsall, who took part in a competition launched…
Mobile phone operator T-Mobile has begun accepting Bitcoin payments for pay-as-you-go phone top-ups in Poland. T-Mobile, one of Poland’s leading mobile phone operators, has begun a 3 month trial offering the virtual currency Bitcoin as an alternate payment option in partnership with Polish payments processor InPay. To help launch this new payment option, T-Mobile is…
The Bank of Thailand has launched a new 100-Baht banknote. The new banknote is part of the 16th series of banknotes issued by Thailand’s Central Bank, and entered circulation on the 26 February 2015. According to the Bank’s press release, the new banknote continues to use the same colour and dimensions as its predecessor, but…
The European Central Bank has unveiled the new €20 banknote, the latest in the Europa series. The new note, which is the third to be released of the second series of euro banknotes, is to enter circulation on 25 November 2015. It has a number of new security features including an eye catching portrait window…
Have you ever wondered about that banknote in your wallet? Where was it made? How old is it? How many times has it been used in transactions? What will happen to it in future? To find out, watch this interesting film made by the European Central Bank about the life cycle of a euro banknote.
On Monday 16 February 2015 the Riksbank, the Central Bank of Sweden, introduced its new series of banknotes and coins. It is the first series to be launched in 30 years, and the new designs include a new denomination 200 krona banknote and 2 krona coin – the 2 krona coin was last issued in…
A press release from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) on 13 February 2015 advises that the next generation of Australian banknotes will include a tactile feature aimed at people with vision impairments to enable them to distinguish between banknote denominations more easily. The current series of polymer banknotes uses bright colours, large and bold…