Uniting a Nation through a New Banknote Series…
In the July issue of Currency News, Astrid Mitchell wrote an article highlighting some considerations around designing a new banknote. In the context of a rise in payment by card, contactless and mobile wallet, some may ask why redesign new series at all? She mentions ECB, Bank of England and Swiss National Bank as ones who are in the process of redesigning their notes. With counterfeiting levels low relatively low, the rationale for some of these new series in the works seems to lie in a wish to ‘renew’ and ‘reinvigorate’ people and the idea of the nation and/or community.
She mentions the ECB’s 2024 Study on Payment Attitudes of Consumers in the Euro area which showed strong support for being able to pay with cash (62% saw this as fairly important). She writes…It is impossible to know how much of this is down to a fondness for the design and physical product itself, but there is evidence that the public won’t use a design or denomination that they don’t like.
So– should central bank’s consult with the public on their new design???
The ECB, Bank of England and Swiss National Bank are all in the consultation process.
Astrid says–Consultation is a useful tool to engage and educate the public about and with a planned new design. As the process proceeds, it can also be useful to be confident that the aesthetics of the project are on track. A great design is good for the country, good for the central bank and vital for the currency itself.
But… and there is always a but– public consultations haven’t always gone well in the past... and she goes on to mention a few examples of consultations gone wrong.
Read the full article HERE https://currencyaffairs.org/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2025/08/July-2025-Editorial.-Consultation-for-Banknote-Design.pdf …
And please comment regarding the following questions:
1. Do you think there is a link between banknote design and usage as the article suggests?
2. Do you think public consultation is a good approach to get design ideas and the public engaged in the process or do you think its best to avoid “design by committee” or outside feedback? Please provide some explanation for your answer and share any relevant experiences.
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