Nicaragua - new 100 córdoba note The Republic of Nicaragua have issued new 100-córdoba note (like P204) with wider thread, revised registration device, repositioned serial number, and subtle underprint design changes. Read more ...

Asian-looking woman purged from its new $100 banknotes in Canada The Bank of Canada have decided to purge an Asia-looking woman scientist peering into a microscope from its new $100. The original image was intended for the reverse of the plastic polymer banknotes, which began to circulate last November. But as eight focus groups consulted about the proposed images for the new $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 banknote series and after having concerns that the researcher appears to be Asian, the bank immediately ordered the image to be redrawn, imposing what a spokesman called a "neutral ethnicity". For the woman scientist who, now stripped of her "Asian" features, appears on the circulating note. Her light features appear Caucasian. Read more ...

Azerbaijan considers new notes According to a press release dated 15 August 2012, the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan has begun a project to evaluate new features, designs, and reliability of new banknotes. Read more ...

Philippines new 50-peso ASEAN commemorative note The Bangko Sentral ng Philipinas have issued a special edition 50-peso banknote bearing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) logo during the 45th ASEAN day celebration at the Department of Foreign Affairs Main Building in Pasay City on August 10. Souvenir copies of the special edition currency will be distributed by Secretary del Rosario to the nine Ambassadors of ASEAN, namely: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam during the ASEAN Day celebration on even date. Read more ...

Bangladesh - new 20 taka banknote The Bangladesh Bank have released new 20-taka banknote with the portrait of Banga-bandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The note contains the portrait of Bangabandhu on one side and the drawing of Bagerhat Shatgambuj Mosque on the other. The existing note of the same denomination will remain in circulation along with the new. Read more ...

Thailand - introduction of Two Commemorative Banknotes The Bank of Thailand have issued new 80-Baht and 100-Baht commemorative banknotes. The issuance of those commemorative banknotes is to pay tribute to HM the Queen and HRH the Crown Prince for their incomparable contributions to the country. Read more ...

Fiji will issue new banknotes The Reserve Bank of Fiji will upgrade existing security features and the inclusion of Fiji`s flora and fauna on banknotes and coins. Banknote and coin tenders were invited and awarded to De La Rue Currency and the Royal Canadian Mint. All banknote and coin designs were finalised and approved. Read more ...

Costa Rica - new notes The Central Bank of Costa Rica have introduced new family of banknotes - new 5,000-, 10,000-, and 50,000-colon notes - from 27 August 2012. Simultaneously, it will start withdrawing banknotes of five thousand and ten thousand colones currently outstanding. From 27th August to 31 December 2012 both bills old and new, may be used interchangeably to pay transaction. From May 1, 2013 may old bills be exchanged at the Central Bank of Costa Rica. Read more ...

Libya - new 1 dinar note It seems like Libya is preparing a new 1-dinar note without the portrait of Muammar Gaddafi, which appears on the current note issued in 2009. Read more ...

Bermuda - new $50 banknote in circulation The Bermuda Monetary Authority have informed the public that it has issued a revised $50 banknote into circulation. Brad Erickson, Chief Operating Officer at the Authority said, "The updated $50 banknote is part of our plan to ensure that Bermuda`s banknotes remain relevant, secure and modern." Read more ...

Brazil - new notes of 20 and 10 reals The Central Bank of Brazil have put into circulation the new notes of 20 and 10 reals belonging to the Second Royal Family. The novelty is the number that changes color in the upper right. By moving the note, the color changes from blue to green. Read more ...

Argentina - 100 peso bills to bear Evita`s image To mark the 60th anniversary of the death of Eva Duarte ("Evita"), is Argentina preparing to issue a special series of 100-peso bills. Some 20 million bills will be issued as part of the special series honoring Evita, the Buenos Aires daily Perfil reported over the weekend, citing Central Bank officials. Read more ...

Nigeria - plans to introduce N5,000 banknote, N5, N10 and N20 coins from first quarter of 2013. From first quarter of 2013, the Central Bank of Nigeria is planning to introduce N5,000 banknote, N5, N10 and N20 coins. The Governor of the Bank, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said the introduction of the higher denomination banknote would complement the bank`s cashless policy by reducing the volume of currency in circulation in the long term. The banknote will have pictures of three Nigerian heroine and nationalists, namely Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Mrs Margaret Ekpo and Alhaja Sawaba Gambo on the front while the National Assembly pictures would be the illustrations at its back. Read more ...

Beginning of 2013 - Upgraded Euro Currency From the beginning of 2013 the banknotes of the common European currency, Euro, will have upgraded security features and will be released. The seventeen members of the Eurozone are going to start advertising the new euro banknotes soon. Expert say, the new security features are expected to make the common European currency harder to counterfeit. Read more ...

Ontario - new ID card for those over 16 Ontario has begun to issue a new photo identification card to make it easier for those people who do not have a driver`s licence. It will help them to travel, open a bank account and perform any other activities that require official ID. The new, secure card will be recognized as government issued identification for Ontarians 16 and over who do not drive. Read more...

UAE national ID card for expatriates Expatriates who return to the UAE after leaving the country should use the same ID number. If expatriate leaves the country for ten years or more, they will be issued with the same ID number when they apply for a new ID card on their return. The 15-digit ID number on the ID card is very important as it is the government`s method for identifying individuals for all its services and transactions. Read more...

Shanghai residents got a new e-passport Shanghai residents can apply for a new biometric passport with an embedded chip from May 15 as Shanghai police informed. The electronic chip in the new passport stores the holder`s identification information such as name, birthday, address and ID card number. Also the holder`s finger prints and signatures will be recorded during the application process. Read more...

Netherland - fingerprint readers get it wrong An interesting article from 29 February 2012 informs that fingerprint readers to collect data for their biometric passports get it wrong in at least 20% of cases. An introduction of passports with fingerprints resulting in a system which is not suitable to do the job it was meant to do - which is combating fraud. Read more...

Azerbaijan - new passport samples unveiled New samples of civil, official and diplomatic passports of Azerbaijan have been made public, as news.az reported. The new passports are 88 x 125 mm in size, the documents consist of four facial and 50 inner pages. The electronic chip is placed on the cover of the pasport, as well as over a photography of the holder inside the document. The 50th page of the passport also contains a special bar-code corresponding to the number of the passport. Read more...

Belgian passports at Belgian Embassy in Pakistan - all biometric The Belgian Embassy in Pakistan is issuing all Belgian passports as biometrics from the 1st July 2012. From this date, all Belgian citizens residing in Pakistan and in need of a new passports, are invited to present themselves personally at the Belgian Embassy in Islamabad in order to register their biometric data (picture + fingerprints). Read more ...

Zimbabwe moving to the e-passport Before the end of this year, Zimbabwe may start using the biometric passports, a Cabinet minister has said. To match international standards, Home Affairs co-minister Theresa Makone told The Standard newspapers that progress had been made towards digitalising the country`s travel document. Read more ...

Armenia - police passport division already installed More than 10 Armenian police passport divisions with biometric passport and ID card issuance systems have now been installed. 50,000 biometric passports and 150,000 ID cards are expected to be issued in 2012, and estimated 304,000 biometric passports and 1 million ID cards are planned to be issued in 2017. Read more ...