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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.

Crane Currency to move printing from Sweden to Malta

Banknotes, NewsBy SMI 14/05/2018

Crane Currency has announced that it will close its printing plant in Tumba, Sweden, moving its banknote printing operations to its newly opened facility in Malta. The paper mill, design team and related departments will continue to operate from the Tumba facility. The Swedish banknote printing plant has been operating since 1755 when it was run by the…

Kyrgyz Republic celebrates 25 years of currency with coins

Coin, NewsBy SMI 11/05/2018

The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic is continuing to celebrate 25 years of the country’s national currency with the introduction of two new coins. The coins were issued by the Central Bank yesterday on the country’s National Currency Day to celebrate 25 years of independence and the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the national currency. The…

Venezuela updates ISO currency code

Currency, NewsBy SMI 10/05/2018

The Central Bank of Venezuela has confirmed that a new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) code will be assigned to its soon to be denominated currency. The ISO code “VES” will be used to identify the new Sovereign Bolivar that comes into effect on 04 June 2018, replacing the previous ISO code of “VEF”.. The Venezuelan currency is to…

DLR opens Product Authentication facility in Malta

Currency, News, TechnologyBy SMI 25/04/2018

De La Rue (DLR) has opened its new product authentication facility in Malta, which will produce tax stamps, authentication and brand products including protection labels for Microsoft. According to DLR, the facility, which was opened today by the Prime Minister of Malta on 24 April 2018, is a centre of excellence across Currency, Identity and Brand…

Crane releases MOTION SURFACE™ film

Currency, News, TechnologyBy SMI 12/04/2018

Crane Currency has released an educational film detailing MOTION SURFACE™, their latest micro-optics security feature product. MOTION SURFACE™ is an evolution of Crane’s MOTION® security thread feature, developed to enable the MOTION® micro-optics technology to be applied as a patch. MOTION® was first used in a circulating banknote in 2006, by Sweden’s Riksbank on the 1,000-krona note. RAPID®, the first…

Bolivia begins issuing new banknote series with Bs.10

Banknotes, NewsBy SMI 12/04/2018

The Central Bank of Bolivia has launched its new banknote series with the issuance of the new Bs10 banknote. The new Bolivia Bs. 10 banknote entered circulation on 10 April 2018, the first of the new banknote series called Primera Familia de Billetes (PFB), which translates to the First Family of Banknotes. The design of the banknote…

Switzerland wins IBNS Banknote of Year again

Banknotes, NewsBy SMI 07/04/2018

Switzerland has won the International Bank Note Society’s (IBNS) Bank Note of the Year Award 2017 for the second year in a row. The IBNS selected Switzerland’s Ninth Series 10-franc banknote from more than 170 banknotes that were released globally throughout 2017. The Swiss 50, also from the Ninth Banknote Series, won the award for 2016.…

Venezuela’s new currency to start circulating in June

Banknotes, Currency, NewsBy SMI 06/04/2018

The Central Bank of Venezuela has confirmed that banknotes from its new re-denominated currency will start circulating on 4 June 2018. The news was confirmed by the Central Bank of Venezuela in a press release issued today. News of the new denominations, which will have three zeros removed from each denomination’s value, was announced last month by…

BSP circulates New Generation Currency (NGC) Coin Series

Coin, NewsBy SMI 27/03/2018

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Philippines Central Bank, has started to issue its latest circulating coins from the New Generation Currency (NGC) Coin Series. The new series comprises of six coin denominations consisting of the 10, 5 and 1-piso and the 25, 5 and 1-sentimo. Micro-printed details have been included on the two highest…

New Swiss 200 franc banknote scheduled for August 2018

Banknotes, NewsBy SMI 20/03/2018

The next Swiss banknote of the new Ninth Series will begin circulating in August 2018. The Swiss National Bank, Switzerland’s Central Bank, confirmed the news via a press release yesterday. The new 200-franc banknote will be the fourth denomination to be issued from the Ninth banknote series, following the launch of the 50-franc note in…