Thailand’s new 1,000-baht banknote has been jointly awarded "Regional Banknote of the Year 2015” along with a new series of New Zealand banknotes at an international conference held by the high security printing industry.
Woraporn Tangsaghasaksri, an assistant to the Bank of Thailand governor, said the 1,000-baht banknote issued as part of the country’s Series 16 notes won the award at the High Security Printing Asia 2015 conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday.
The banknotes, put into circulation in September 2015, have the latest security features to facilitate authentication by machine as well as the general public. They also have tactile features for the visually impaired.
The principal design theme of the new series celebrates Thai kings from different periods.
New Zealand shared the same award for its "Brighter Money" series of new polymer banknotes, the first redesign of the country's currency notes since 1999.
The first two denominations, of $5 and $10 New Zealand currency, have gone into circulation, and will be followed by new $20, $50 and $100 notes next year.
The themes -- respected New Zealanders, the Queen and flora and fauna -- remain central to the designs, but these are brighter and bolder than their predecessors. All five denominations carry the same security features, according to the conference organiser Reconnaissance International.
The organiser said the award recognised outstanding achievement in the design, technical sophistication and security of a banknote or banknote series.
The key judging criteria were that successful banknotes should combine visual artistry and high levels of technical and security sophistication, with considerable emphasis placed on reflecting the cultural heritage of the issuing country in the note, and the relevance of the overall design and symbolism to the issuing country, Reconnaissance International said.
The company is billed as a leading global supplier of technical and business intelligence for secure documents, personal identification, authentication and anti-counterfeiting, tax stamps and currency.
The front of the new 1,000-baht note.
The back of the new 1,000-baht note.
New Zealand's new $5 note. (Images from Reconnaissance International)
New Zealand's new $10 note.