Louisenthal Wins IACA Award for the Best Specimen Banknote

“This award is particularly valuable because it is based solely on votes cast by central banks. Our note has been chosen by experts with a deep knowledge of the qualities that characterize a good banknote, from the design to the security architecture,” said Dr. Wolfram Seidemann, CEO of G+D Currency Technology.

Specimen banknotes anticipate future trends and showcase innovations in a condensed format. Voting criteria included innovation of design, technological development of the security features, uniqueness, and aesthetic effect.

The “Water” specimen note is a single-sided design study incorporating the security features RollingStar^® LEAD, a security foil and the RollingStar^® Registered security thread. “At their best, banknotes tell a story,” Seidemann explained. “The design beautifully supports the security elements. The water on this banknote symbolizes both the sea and the undulating shape of a conch. On the security foil, both elements are mirrored in the printed design and in the watermark. The repetition of these elements helps to clearly identify the motifs and links them to each other. In the center, the registered thread creates a three-dimensional impression of the seashell and reproduces the colors of the sea in the undulating waves as they change from blue to green.”

RollingStar^® LEAD by Louisenthal is based on tiny micromirrors that are combined with other optically variable effects such as running, depth and pumping effects. This creates bright, striking and dynamic movements, and eye-catching color shifts that pass along the foil when tilted. The RollingStar^® Registered security thread repeats the central motif of the banknote and enables even inexperienced observers to recognize the security features quickly and unambiguously.