Banknotes
Currency Benchmarks 2026 report – cash in a digital world
Benchmarks highlight varied use of cash policies, outsourcing and distribution methods
EMDE central banks forecast bigger changes in banknote demand
Forecasts are both positive and negative, but the range is much wider than for AE central banks
Banknote environmental impact awareness grows
Share of currency departments with a climate strategy increases to 50%
Share of polymer banknotes continues to rise
Shift into polymer comes at the expense of varnished cotton
Rethinking the narrative on cash
Antti Heinonen explores recent developments of cash that go against the prevailing narrative
One-fifth of EMDE central banks actively discourage cash use
Digital payments are reducing cash demand, especially in advanced economies
BoE unveils animals that will feature on new banknotes
Public’s choice of barn owl, bumblebee and hedgehog to be supplemented by puffin
Paraguay’s central bank unveils new series of banknotes
Designs come with updated security and accessibility features
Merchants in the cash system
As policy-makers seek to protect cash acceptance and increasingly look to retailers to facilitate access to cash, Martina Horakova argues that merchants need adequate cash services themselves – and that providing cash to the public should not come at…
Germany sees surge in €100 fakes amid overall counterfeit decline
Deutsche Bundesbank says overall levels of forged money remain low
Book notes: Money: the inside story, by Rupal Patel and Jack Leslie
BoE’s latest explainer provides an entertaining and accessible guide to finance
ECB unveils shortlist of new euro banknote designs
Bank invites public to share their views, offers vertical designs for first time
Everything you always wanted to know about money (but were afraid to ask)
Rupal Patel and Jack Leslie, authors of ‘Money: the inside story’, speak about how central banks can improve their comms – and credibility – by tackling popular misconceptions about how finance works
MAS heralds progress on cutting carbon emissions
Central bank reports reductions in climate impact across its operations and investment portfolio
Sudan to withdraw low-value notes from circulation
Smaller denominations have lost purchasing power amid inflation and currency depreciation
Central Bank of Syria opens new branches
Bank also says it will begin measures to end circulation of Turkish currency
Monetary split deepens in Sudan as new banknotes circulate
Expert says rebel forces may be printing their own version of national currency
Digital euro passes European Parliament’s first hurdle
Economic and monetary committee’s rapporteur says CBDC will ‘never replace’ cash
Novel AI could help with banknote quality control – paper
Tool could help prevent defective currency from entering circulation, Bank of Italy researchers find
Banknotes: April to June 2026
A round-up of news and salient issues that have affected central bankers in the past three months
BoE asks public to vote for their favourite animals
Bank opens consultation on which creatures should feature on its next set of notes