2017-04-27 Thu

The “Bank Note of the Year Award” for 2016 has been given to Swiss 50 Franc hybrid notes by International Bank Note Society. Almost 120 new banknotes were released all over the world in 2016. More than half of them had new designs and were eligible for nomination. The runners-up were the Maldive Islands 1000 Rufiyaa tortoise/whale shark, the Argentina 500 Peso jaguar, and the Royal Bank of Scotland’s 5 Pound first polymer note. Members of IBNS from 19 countries voted for the awards.

The Switzerland 50 Franc note is the first new design that the country has released in 20 years. It is a part of the new ninth series featuring the wind and national experiences. Themes of future notes released in this series include time, light, water, matter and language. The bright green vertical notes are issued using the three layer substrate Durasafe technology. It features dandelion seeds, a paraglider over the mountains and a playful hand. This is the first hybrid note to win the IBNS banknote award.