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The following Press Release was issued by the State Bank of Pakistan on 10th November, 2006.
The Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar launched Rs. 100 and Rs. 500 new design banknotes at a simple but impressive ceremony held today at SBP Head Office, Karachi. The launch of these banknotes is part of State Bank’s campaign to eliminate counterfeiting of notes in the country and to protect the public from this menace.
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar explained that the State Bank has taken advantage of the latest technology to make these notes virtually impossible to be forged by incorporating the state of the art security features. These modern security features are not only easy to recognize but almost impossible to be copied by the counterfeiters. However, it is important for the public to become well versed with these security features so that they can immediately recognize a counterfeited banknote when they come across it. Dr. Akhtar urged the media to effectively play their vital and constructive role in protecting the public by giving wide coverage to these security features.
Some of the special security features added in the new design banknotes are anti-copy and anti-scan, micro lettering, presence of latent image of denomination which can be seen when the banknote is tilted, window security thread that changes colours when seen against the light and See-through feature in which only half of the denomination is visible on each side and the denomination is fully visible only when the banknote is seen through light.
The launch of these high tech banknotes is also expected to revolutionize the banking business in Pakistan as these banknotes are equipped with machine readable features. This will facilitate automation of handling of banknotes by banks and use of equipment to detectcounterfeiting while processing the banknotes. Due to presence of special features in these banknotes, ATMs with capability of not only dispensing with but also receiving cash can now be introduced in Pakistan like other developed countries.
It may be pointed out that the old design banknotes of Rs.100 and Rs.500 would continue to remain in circulation as legal tender along with the new design notes.
With this launch, the State Bank has already introduced new design in banknotes of Rs. 10, 20, 100, 500 and 5000 denominations. The State Bank plans to complete its current design upgrading campaign of banknotes early next year when new design banknotes of remaining denominations of Rs. 50 and Rs. 1000 are expected to be introduced.
The UAE Central Bank has issued new 500- and 1000-dirham banknotes. These banknotes are dated 2006AD-1427AH. They are similar to the previous issue but carry a modified foil strip with hologram. The new strip carries, in addition to the coat of arms, the value of the banknote.
Update (November 2006): The 50-dirham note has been released with the dates 2006AD-1427AH.
New 500- and 10,000-franc notes have been issued by the Comores. These notes are part of the series introduced in 2005 with the 1,000- and 2,000 franc notes. The new notes are dated 2006 and carry the same signatures as the earlier notes, i.e. Ahamadi Abdoulbastoi as Le Gouverneur and Jerome Walker as Le President du Conseil D'Administration. There is no news of a 5,000-franc note which would probably complete the series.
[Submitted by Sejin Ahn — October 2006]A new 5-taka note was issued in a reduced size on 8 October 2006 with the signature of Governor Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed. The new note is shorter then pevious 5-taka note. The new note carries the usual watermerk of the 'tiger head' with an additional electrotype watermerk of the 'bank logo'. In addition a new security thread is introduced to this note. It is as same as 100-taka security thread with a width of 3mm.
[Submitted by Mohammed Islam — October 2006]The following report was made in The Daily Star — www.thedailystar.net — on 21 September 2006.
Bangladesh Bank will issue a new 10-taka note with a changed size today.
The new note will be of 123X60 mm in size instead of its previous size of 130X60 mm, said a Bangladesh Bank press release yesterday.
However, other features of the new note will remain the same and different parts of its front side printed with intaglio ink could be felt at touch.
The new note, printed with the signature of Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, will be issued primarily from its Motijheel office.
The other 10-taka notes will also remain in circulation, the release added.
However, it appears that not only has a reduced size 10-taka note been introduced, but also a reduced-size 20-taka note. The release of these notes appears to be an ongoing effort to make all notes in Bangladesh a different size, as the 10- and 20-taka notes have been the same size as the 50-taka notes.
[Submitted by Mohammed Islam — October 2006]Sudan Tribune — http://www.sudantribune.com/ — Thursday 28 September 2006 03:30.
Sept 27, 2006 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese official stated that the issue of the new currency would cost 150 million US dollar, turning down the initial estimation that the re-printing cost of the currency is estimated at about 100 million dollars.
The Governor of the Bank of Sudan, Sabir Mohamed al-Hassan, said that the cost of the Sudanese currency change amounted to 150 million dollars, adding that the use of the new currency would begin by the end of the current year.
Speaking at the monthly forum of Al-Wasat Economic Magazine Wednesday, al-Hassan said that the new pound will be equal to 100 Sudanese dinars.
He said that the design of the new currency was intended to reflect the unity, cultural diversity, peace and industrial development in Sudan.
The change of the national currency form the Dinar to the Pound comes as part of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed on 9 January 2005.
According to the peace agreement, the donor countries have promised to provide the necessary funding for the introduction of the new Sudanese pound. But, the CPA partners decided last May to finance the operation from the oil revenue because the donors didn’t meet their pledge.
The value of the Sudanese pound would be determined by market mechanisms. The pound will replace the Sudanese dinar, which currently trades at around 235 to the U.S. dollar.
It appears likely that Somaliland is to issue a 1000-shilling note later this month. At least one dealer is promoting these notes, using a mockup to represent the notes.
Update (October 2006): This issue is, to all appearances, a fantasy issue. It does not carry any significant security features and carries the signature of the Finance Minister, who has never signed the banknotes issued in Somaliland.
JEDDAH, 5 September 2006 — Saudi Arabia will issue new currency notes and coins by the middle of next year incorporating additional security features as the Council of Ministers yesterday gave the green signal to the project.
Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency Governor Hamad Al-Sayari said the Saudi central bank would circulate the new issues by the second quarter of next Hijrah year.
'The circulation of bills and coins currently in the market will continue without any change in their values,' Sayari told Saudi Press Agency, adding that the new security features would strengthen public confidence in the currency.
The new bills will reflect the cultural and economic progress being witnessed by Saudi Arabia under Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Sayari said. Abdullah became the King on Aug.1 ,2005. (reported by Arab News http://www.arabnews.com/.)
A new 100-taka note was issued on July 16, 2006, in a different size and with a different security thread. The new (or 'current') 100-taka note measures 140 x 62 mm and the security thread is 3 mm wide, whereas the previous 100-taka note was 152 x 65 mm and the security thread was 4 mm wide. The new note is signed by Governor Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed. All other characteristics are the same as the previous issue.
[Submitted by Mohammed Islam — July 2006]The 500- and 20-taka notes have been issued with a date of 2006. They carry the signature of Mr Salehuddin Ahmed.
[Submitted by Erwin Bayer and Mohammed Islam — June 2006]The following Press Release, issued on 26 May 2006, announces the introduction of the much anticipated 5,000-rupee note and the unexpected intoduction of a new 10-rupee note to Pakistan.
The Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar has announced the launching of Rs.5000/- and new Rs.10/- banknotes from tomorrow. She said that all the field offices of SBP Banking Services Corporation throughout the country would issue these notes with effect from 27th May, 2006.
Addressing a press conference at the State Bank of Pakistan, Karachi this afternoon, the Governor said that it is for the first time in the history of the country that the banknote of Rs.5000/- denomination is being introduced. She said the main benefit of introducing Rs.5000/- banknote was to provide convenience and facilitate higher value transactions. Issuance of larger denominated note also economises the expenditure on printing of notes as higher denomination notes would reduce the consumption of lower denomination notes.
Dr. Akhtar said the Government of Pakistan and the State Bank had decided to issue new designed banknotes with high-tech security features to minimize the possibility of counterfeiting of these notes.
She said that Rs.5000/- banknote contains several security features of international standards and now our notes are comparable with Euro and have more security features than US dollars. ‘The note also contains a special security feature to facilitate the visually impaired persons to easily recognize it’, Dr. Akhtar added. The Governor said that the new designed Rs.10/- banknote also contained a host of security features as compared to the existing Rs.10/- note.
She said the new notes also depict the architectural heritage of the country. Famous monumental structures of Pakistan – the Khyber Pass, Peshawar, Mohen-jo-Daro, Larkana and Faisal Mosque, Islamabad – have been printed as the vignette at the reverse of Rs.10, Rs.20 and Rs.5000 banknotes respectively, the Governor added.
With a view to facilitate the handling of new notes, their size has been kept smaller than the existing notes. The width of the new banknotes is 65mm as against 73mm of the existing banknotes while the length of new banknotes has also been kept smaller than the existing ones, Dr. Akhtar added.
Dr. Akhtar said that the designs of all the existing banknotes would be changed. She said that the new designed Rs.20/- banknote was being issued from 13th August, 2005 while Rs.5000/- and Rs.10/- new banknotes would be introduced from 27th May.
New designed banknotes of Rs.50/-, Rs.100/-, Rs.500/- and Rs.1,000/- would be launched during the next fiscal year. The Governor informed the newsmen that the old designed banknotes would continue to remain in circulation as a legal tender along with the new designed notes.
The following are salient features of Rs.5000/- and new Rs.10/- banknotes:-
Rs.5000/- Bank Note
Cut Size: 65 x 163 m.m.
Main Colour: Mustard
Paper: 100% cotton based.
Security Features:
*******
The salient features of New Rs.10/- Bank Note are as under:
Cut Size: 65 x 115 m.m.
Main Colour: Green
Paper: 100% cotton based.
Security Features:
The 1000-rial note has been issued with a new date of 2006/1327. All other features of the note appear to be the same.
[Submitted by Peter Symes — April 2006]The 1000-dinar note with foil strip, No.142 in the Standard Catalogue of World Paper Money, has been recorded with a date of 21-5-1992, which had only been recorded on the previously issued note (without foil strip). This means there are now two date varieties of No.142.
[Submitted by Jean-Michel Engels — March 2006]Iran has issued the 500-rial and 20,000-rial notes with the signatures of Ebrahim Sheibani and Danesh Jafari (Sig.33).
[Submitted by Dr. S. Kazem Ahadi — March 2006]The State Bank of Pakistan began issuing notes with the signature of Governer Shamshad Akhter from the 13th of March 2006. Notes of the following denominations will carry the signature: 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees.
The much anticipated new design and new denomination of 5000 rupees is expected to be issued in the month of May.
Eritrea has issued new 50- and 100-nakfa notes. The notes are dated 2004 and have an all-over colour, no longer utilizing light-coloured borders.
[Submitted by Claudio Marana — February 2006]The 500 Taka note has been issued with the new signature of Governor Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed. This signature was first noticed in the first week of 2006. According to the Bangladesh Bank, the note was issued on 3 January 2006. However, the note carries the date of 2005. All other features on the note are the same as on the previous notes signed by Mr. Fakhruddin Ahmed.
[Submitted by Mohammed Islam — January 2006]The Comoros has issued two new notes, a 1000- and a 2000-franc note. The notes differ greatly from the previous issues. It is understood, but not confirmed, that the notes were issued in late 2005, possibly on 30 December. The notes carry the date of 2005.
[Submitted by Claudio Marana & Jean-Michel Engels — January 2006]