>>A Kazakh banknote wins an international design award, again
LONDON, May 20, 2013: In terms of banknote sophistication — artwork and anti-forgery security — Kazakhstan is world class.
The International Bank Note Society named Kazakhstan’s 5,000 tenge note, worth around $33, as the best new issue of 2012 (May 17).
This is the second consecutive year that Kazakhstan has won the award after its new 10,000 tenge note won in 2012.
With the help of the British banknote printer De La Rue, the Kazakh Central Bank designed and launched the new 5,000 tenge banknote on New Year’s Eve 2011/12.
The judges praised its bright orange colour as well as the banknote’s designs, including an outline of the country, the iconic Soviet-built Hotel Kazakhstan in Almaty and Independence Statue in the centre of the city.
The note also contains various anti-forgery watermarks and other devices that improve its security.
Unusually for banknotes, the 5,000 tenge note, which beat Canada’s 50 dollar bill and the Jersey 100 pound bill for the award, does not carry the image of a famous national person.
If banknote art and sophistication is a sign of a confident, growing economy that is increasingly proud of its currency and aware of its national symbols, then Kazakhstan is definitely moving in the right direction.
ENDS
This story was first published in issue 135 of the Conway Bulletin. To subscribe, click here