Bulgarian 100 Levs note with security features by Louisenthal wins Regional Banknote of the Year Award in Malta

New Bulgarian banknote series

The 100 Levs is the first banknote issued from the new Bulgarian series; it was put into circulation on 28 December 2018 and portrays Aleko Konstantinov, a Bulgarian writer, publicist, lawyer, translator, democrat, and social activist. All banknotes in the Bulgarian series will be equipped with the latest state-of-the-art security features. For Clemens Berger, Chairman of the Board of Louisenthal, the award for the 100 Levs shows “how important and rewarding it is for central banks to keep banknotes both secure and attractive. We are honoured that the Bulgarian National Bank has chosen us to equip their new series with best-in-class paper-embedded security features. The use of our RollingStar^® LEAD stripe with its brilliant colour shift from emerald green to sapphire blue and the repetition of the main motif throughout the note strongly increase not only the attractiveness of the 100 Levs but also its security.”

State-of-the-art security features

The 100 Levs note displays a whole range of newly introduced features:

• The front of the note shows a dynamic RollingStar^® LEAD Stripe, with a dynamic chess effect. The colour changes from emerald green to sapphire blue when tilting the banknote. This RollingStar^® LEAD Stripe synchronises with the three-dimensional image of the value “100”
• The back of the note features a RollingStar^® security thread with the same dynamic chess effect and again with a colour shift from emerald green to sapphire blue when tilting the banknote. The micro text “BNB 100” is visible on either side.
• The note also contains paper-embedded security fibres: new tri-coloured security fibres in white, green, red are visible under UV light.
• A three-dimensional watermark portrait of Aleko Konstantinov combined with the highlight inscription “BNB” is visible on both sides in transmission view.
• Communicating security features: The motif of the portrait of Aleko Konstantinov has been used in the intaglio print, in the watermark and in the RollingStar^® LEAD stripe. The repetition of motifs makes it easy for the untrained consumer to verify the authenticity of the banknote.

The banknote is also equipped with tactile features for the visually impaired: five thick and six thin diagonal lines along the margins on the front side.

About Giesecke+Devrient

Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) is a global security technology group headquartered in Munich, Germany. Founded in 1852, the Group has a workforce of 11,600 employees and generated sales of approximately EUR 2.14 billion in the 2017 fiscal year. 72 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 32 countries ensure customer proximity worldwide.
G+D develops, produces, and distributes products and solutions for secure payment, connectivity, identities and digital security. G+D is a technology leader in these markets and holds a strong competitive position. The Group’s customer base mainly comprises central and commercial banks, mobile network operators, business enterprises, governments, and public authorities. For more information, please visit: www.gi-de.com.