Currency
ECCB sees sense in scrapping cents
Eastern Caribbean Central Bank insists ‘everyone will benefit from the withdrawal’ of one and two cent coins from July, as they are expensive to produce and carry very little purchasing power
New euro banknotes go down well in the Netherlands
Study conducted for the Netherlands Bank finds new €5 and €10 banknotes are more popular than their predecessors, though familiarity with design features remains low
Nigerian central bankers accused of banknote ‘mega scam’
Six accused of taking more than $25 million worth of old banknotes that were meant to be destroyed; Economic and Financial Crime Commission says they will ‘face the wrath of the law’
Malaysian deputy unveils ‘ink-staining’ technology for ATMs
Muhammad bin Ibrahim says ATMs have been ‘frequent target’ for criminals in recent years; new technology will stain notes with indelible ink if machine is being robbed
Public to vote on design of €2 commemorative coin
Eurozone residents invited by European Commission to pick one of five designs for a coin marking the 30th anniversary of the EU flag; partly a tool for raising awareness of economic governance
Growth in banknote circulation drops in Namibia after ATM mandate
Annual report shows central bank mandated banks to re-calibrate their ATMs to better balance the dispense of banknotes to the market, lowering the rate of banknote issuance
Riksbank sees payments challenges ahead
Annual report notes growing interest in digital forms of payment is leading to declining income from seigniorage; new banknote series to enter circulation in 2015
Former ECB banknotes director describes 'arduous path' to Europa launch
Antti Heinonen details the challenges and occasional mishaps in delivering a ‘quantum leap’ in eurozone banknote designs, with the latest new note to be issued later this year
New Australian banknotes to feature 'embossed bumps'
RBA to become second central bank to emboss polymer banknotes with 'bumps', making it easier to feel the difference between denominations
British minister brands Argentina’s new Falklands banknote a ‘stunt’
The Central Bank of Argentina has issued a new 50 peso banknote featuring the Falkland Islands, which sparked criticism, with a British minister branding it a ‘stunt’
Angolan central bank rejects public designs for new coins
Applicants failed to meet the requirements of the competition launched for the design of two new coins. The National Bank of Angola will now develop the motifs of the 50 and 100 kwanzas
Coins and notes with same value to circulate in Angola
Angola’s central bank will issue two new coins in November, of 50 and 100 kwanzas, which will circulate with equal denomination banknotes
Banknote and currency services provider of the year: Innovia Security
A consistent, collaborative approach in a wide range of countries, including Canada and the UK, has enabled the polymer pioneer to stay ahead of its peers on banknote service provision
National Bank of Denmark to outsource production of banknotes and coins
The National Bank of Denmark will outsource all of its printing and minting services to an external supplier in 2016, with an estimated saving of $17 million by 2020
National Bank of Belgium to close half its remaining branches
Belgian central bank reveals plans to close its branches in Mons and Hasselt in 2016, which are predominantly involved in processing cash
Uzbek central bank launches mobile app to meet ‘growing needs’ of online audience
Users can view specimens of banknotes and coins and check the latest exchange rates; central bank expects it to be ‘popular’ among 3,000 people who visit website each day
Reserve Bank of India to trial ‘plastic banknotes’
Annual report details plans to run a ‘field trial’ of plastic banknotes by 2015, in addition to several other initiatives aimed at improving the central bank’s cash management
Lithuania takes delivery of first euro coins
1,740 tonnes of coins must be minted ahead of currency switchover on January 1; delivery is supervised by police under special agreement signed in May
A new wave for polymer banknotes
Does the Bank of England’s move to introduce substrate banknotes represent a ‘tipping point’ for polymer currency? By Tristan Carlyle.
Bulgarian National Bank selling 64 tonnes of scrap coins
Bulgarian central bank set to sell 64 tonnes of defunct old coins to the highest bidder, who will melt them down for scrap
Iceland prepares to phase out smallest banknote
Central Bank of Iceland hints at replacing the 500 krónur banknote with a coin, and scrapping the three lowest value coins altogether; introduced new 10,000 krónur note last year
Armenia pips Kazakhstan to coin award
Central Bank of Armenia commemorative coin triumphs over National Bank of Kazakhstan offering in an Italian competition for Best Coin of the Year
Banque de France's Christian Noyer on bank runs, the euro crisis and a Fed-like ECB
Christian Noyer explains how he has restructured the Banque de France to enable it to become the Eurosystem’s ‘New York Fed’, while facing down a bank run and tackling the euro crisis
Central Bank of Oman's Hamood Sangour Al Zadjali on the dollar, financial stability and Islamic finance
The Central Bank of Oman remains committed to the dollar as it moves to improve governance, liquidity management and Islamic finance in the sultanate, its executive president tells Chris Jeffery