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Friday 22 December 2017

634) Noah's Ark: A 500 Dram Collector's Banknote from the Central Bank of Armenia in circulation from 22.11.2017:

634) Noah's Ark: A 500 Dram Collector's Banknote from the Central Bank of Armenia in circulation from 22.11.2017:

The Central Bank of Armenia has issued a new commemorative Banknote on 22.11.2017 which showcases the tale of Noah's Ark - a biblical story  with a significant connection to the land of Armenia and its people. 

In the Book of Genesis, the Mountains of Ararat are the place where Noah's Ark came to land after the great flood. Near the top of Mount Ararat, long considered a historical symbol of Armenian identity, explorers have found remnants of the Noah's Ark beneath the snow and volcanic debris on Mount Ararat, in present day Turkey.

The 500 Dram Banknote is printed on an alternative to traditional cotton fibre paper, which combines paper covered with thin polyester layers on both sides and was developed by the Germany-based company Louisenthal, a subsidiary of the Note paper/printing, security paper making/printing and security features innovation  major Gisenke & Devrient (G & D).

The Hybrid Banknote substrate  combines the advantages of paper Bank Notes and polymer Bank Notes together in an innovative combination of protective polyester film around a cotton fibre core. Such Banknotes are presently circulating in four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Europe and combine security with durability.




The Front of the 500 Dram Banknote features images of a Reliquary (meaning "a container of Relics") with a fragment of Noah's Ark and the Monastery of Etchmiadzin. In the background is Mount Ararat.


The Back of the 500 Dram Banknote features images of Noah along with his family, with animals and birds around them. In the background is Mount Ararat.

The Size of the Banknote is 140 x 76 mm and its pre-dominant colours are gold, grey, brown and blue. The Banknote is dated "2017".

Salient Security Features:

Substrate - The Banknote has been printed on Hybrid"TM" - a high quality composite substrate based on a cotton paper, covered with thin polyester layers on both sides.

Watermark: The multi-tone watermark with an image of the Noah's Ark and the two-tone watermark reflecting the nominal value of the bank note:


Security Thread: A window security thread with an effect of colour shifting from gold to green. It contains bright "swimming" 3 D circles and inter-changeable sections - an image of the Noah's Ark and de-metallized patterns "500" and "AMD":

Transparent window: There is a transparent window with a precisely defined image of the Noah's Ark:

Intaglio printing: On the Front of the Banknote, the images of the Noah's Ark Reliquary and the Monastery of Etchmiadzin, as well as the denominational value of the Banknote in figures and in letters are printed in intaglio - they have a raised surface, which one can feel with fingertips:


Micro-text and micro-images:
The Front and Back of the Banknote are equipped with micro-text and micro-images, which can be identified with a magnifying glass:


UV Feature:
The Front and Back of the Banknote have areas printed with fluorescent ink, which become visible only under the ultra-violet light/rays:



Kinegram: Security Foil on the Front of the Banknote containing 3D image of the Noah's Ark fragment with dynamic and colour shifting effects from gold to green, as well as, bright patterns in the upper and lower parts of the Noah Ark Reliquary:


Optically Variable Ink: Security feature on the Front of the Banknote in the form of a dove with an olive branch in its beak and contains colour-shifting  effect from gold the green and  bright "swimming" 3D circles:






Posted on 30.03.2018:

At the High Security Printing (HSP) Conference 2018, held in Warsaw recently, this G & D printed 500 Dram Armenian Banknote was selected as the "Regional Banknote of the Year for the EMEA Region" (Europe, the Middle East and Africa).

The following reasons were cited by the Selection Committee:


This  Banknote is Armenia's first collector's Banknote and has generated much interest worldwide.

The "Galaxy (R)", "LaserCut (TM)" and "RollingStar (R) LEAD" security elements which are harmoniously integrated into the overall layout and substrate enable quick and unambiguous verification through their distinctive colour effects.

The colour shift from gold to green is dynamic and eye-catching. The high gloss depicts the value of gold.

The motif of Noah's Ark is included multiple times in this Banknote - as a watermark within the "LaserCut (TM)" window, where it can be seen when the light shines through it; on the Front of the Banknote, which depicts the shrine which is said to contain a gragment of Noah's Ark according to the tradition of the Armenian church.

The wooden plank with a cross above it is created using the "RollingStar(R) LEAD" optically variable effect from the G & D subsidiary Louisenthal and looks brilliant and stunning. This security feature is based on microscopically small mirrors that are linked with other optically variable effects.

The  "Galaxy (R)" security thread combines a dynamic colour shift from gold to green with a striking 3D effect that can be seen from any tilting angle - it is even identifiable in poor light and without specialist training. Its optical and dynamic effects are synchronised with those of "RollingStar(R) LEAD".

In addition, it is Armenia's first denomination to be based on the Hybrid (TM) substrate from the Louisenthal paper mill, which is particularly resistant, as both sides of the cotton substrate are covered with polyester foils, protecting the notes. At the same time, they have the same familiar feeling as banknotes made from cotton paper.

Incidentally, following its successes in 2015 and 2017, this is the third time that a product from G & D Currency Technology has received the prestigious "Regional Banknote of the Year Award."


Posted on 07.04.2018:

Yesterday, I have received a "Noah's Ark Collector's Banknote" from Jayant Biswas who was visiting us in Pune:

The Front Cover of the Collector's Banknote album is titled "Noah's Ark Collector Banknote. through a cut-out one can see a fragment of Noah's Ark against the background of Mount Ararat


The second page of the Banknote Album contains a description of the Noah's Ark and its historical importance to Armenia in Armenian language

The third page of the Collector Banknote album contains the Front (Obverse) of the Banknote and shows the reliquary with a fragment of Noah's Ark. In the background are a fragment of Mount Ararat and the Monastery of Etchmiadzin" woodcut (F. Parrot, "Journey to Ararat")

The fourth page of the Collector Banknote album contains the Bank (Reverse) of the Banknote and shows an image by the motifs of the "Leaving the Ark" woodcut by J. Carolsfeld. In the background is Mount Ararat

Page five of the Banknote album gives a description of Noah and his Ark:

"Noah's Ark is the symbol of humanity's salvation and rebirth.

According to the Bible, God instructed Noah to build an ark in order to save human life from the Flood. The ark where Noah took cover with his family, paired animals and birds landed on the Mount Ararat from where humanity and the animal world have resettled on the Earth.

For centuries, attempts were made to see Noah's Ark on the Mount Ararat. Jacob of Nisibis, a 4th century cleric canonized by Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, was the first person in the history noted for heading for the Mount Ararat with the purpose of discrediting his contemporaries' doubts. According to the church tradition, Saint Jacob received a fragment of Noah's Ark from the God's angel on a slope of the Mount Ararat.

At present, the fragment of Noah's Ark is kept in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. It is contained in the reliquary made by Armenian master from Qanaqer in 1698. The flaps of the reliquary have the images of Saint Jacob of Nisibis and the angel handing a fragment of the ark. Richly decorated, the reliquary is one of the best examples of Armenian silver smithery."

This page also shows an image of Noah and his family having reached Mount Ararat safely after the Flood in the Ark and several animals in pairs safe on the Mount.

The sixth & last page of the Banknote album is the Back Cover and gives a description of the security features of the Banknote along with its size

The security features include "RollingStar LEAD",  3D image of Noah's Ark, "Rolling Star GALAXY', windowed security thread with colour shifting effect from gold to green, bright "swimming 3D circles and interchangeable section - an image of Noah's Ark and a de-metallised patterns of "500" &  "AMD".

The specification of this Banknote are:

Size: 140 x 76 mm; Nominal value: 500 Dram; Year of issue: 2017; Designer: Suren Simonyan; Printing Company: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH; Brochure designer: Aram Urutyan

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