701) a) 10 Franc Banknote: issued by the Swiss National Bank, Switzerland in 2017, winner of the prestigious "International Bank Note Society Award - 2017" (IBNS) b) 5 Runners-up Banknotes from Scotland, Canada, Fiji, Norway & Djibouti:

701) a) 10 Franc Banknote: issued by the Swiss National Bank, Switzerland in 2017, winner of the prestigious "International Bank Note Society Award- 2017" (IBNS) b) 5 Runners-up Banknotes from Scotland, Canada, Fiji, Norway & Djibouti:

For the IBNS "Banknote of the Year Award winner since 2016, please visit my posts at the following link: 

1) 50 Franc Banknote issued by the Swiss National Bank in April 2016 wins the prestigious IBNS Award 2016

2) 10 Franc Banknote issued by the Swiss National Bank wins the prestigious IBNS Award 2017

The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) has announced in April 2018, that the Swiss National Bank has won the prestigious "Bank Note of the Year Award" for 2017 for its 10 Franc Hybrid Banknote out of a field of almost  170 new Banknotes released worldwide during 2017, of which nearly a third were of sufficiently new designs to be eligible for nomination. The IBNS members nominated 22 of them from the five continents and Island nations, of which 14 were placed on the ballot. 

The 22 Banknotes which were nominated by members were - Canada (10 dollars), Norway (100 Kroner), Gibraltar (100 Pounds), Mexico (100 Peso), Australia (10 dollars), Madagascar (20,000 Ariary), Fiji (7 Dollars), England (10Pounds), India (200 Rupees), Israel (100 New Shekel), Georgia ( 100 Lari), Scotland (10 Pounds - Bank of Scotland), Scotland (10 Pounds - Clydesdale Bank), Argentina (100 Peso), Djibouti (40 Franc), Russia (2,000 Rouble), Kyrgyzstan (2,000 Som), Angola (10 Kwanza, Solomon Islands ( (20 dollars), Maldives (5 Rufiyaa), Switzerland (10 Franc), Switzerland (20 Franc - disqualified by the sub-committee as another Banknote had also been nominated from Switzerland).

In the closest vote ever, the Swiss 10 Franc polymer/hybrid Banknote narrowly edged out runners-up from the Royal Bank of Scotland (10 Pounds Banknote (featuring mathematician and astronomer Mary Somerville), Canada ($10 with its four politicians and regional landscapes), Fiji ( unique $7 featuring their first-ever Olympic Gold medal and Rugby "7's" team), Norway (100 Kroner Viking Longship) and Djibouti (40 Franc whale shark swimming across its Front).

Switzerland has won the coveted IBNS Banknote of the Year Award for the second year in a row.

This is the fourth consecutive hybrid/polymer banknote to win the coveted IBNS Banknote of the Year Award.

As mentioned above, two new Swiss Banknote issues were nominated in the competition - the 10 Franc Banknote and the 20 Francs Banknote (both from the Ninth Series of Swiss banknotes, printed by Orell Fussli Security Printing Ltd. in Zurich  -  but since the rules of the competition do not allow a country to compete against itself, a sub-committee eliminated the 20 Franc Banknote from consideration.

About the International Bank Note Society:

The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) was founded in 1961 and is a non-profit educational organisation with objectives to promote, stimulate and advance the study, collection and dissemination of information related to Paper Money. It seeks to provide knowledge of worldwide Banknotes and paper currencies along educational, scientific and historical line.

Now in its 57th year, the IBNS has over 2,000 members worldwide.

Some past winners of the "Bank Note of the Year" Award have included - Switzerland (2016), New Zealand (2015), Trinidad and Tobago (2014), Kazakhstan (2013, 2012, 2011), Uganda (2010), Bermuda (2009), Samoa (2008), Scotland (2007), Comoros (2006), Faroe Islands (2005) and Canada (2004).

The criteria for a Banknote to be chosen for this year's competition was -

The Banknote should have been issued to the public during 2017

The Banknote was required to be submitted to the IBNS Journal

The Banknote had to be the circulating currency (no specimens are allowed)

The Banknote has to have an artist merit with imaginative designs and show good use of colour

Design features that utilise modern security were taken into consideration

If more than one Banknote from the same family of Banknotes shared features or security elements, only one Banknote will be eligible for nomination. Only members were allowed to vote. The voting closed on 31.01.2018. The winner was to be announced in April 2018.

About the 10 Franc Banknote issued by the Swiss National Bank - Winner of the "International Bank Note of the Year Award - 2017":

The Front of the Swiss 10 Franc Banknote - winner of IBNS Award 2017

The Front of the 10 Franc Banknote depicts music and time in the form of human hands holding a baton, conducting an orchestra, and a globe showing a time zone motif, with a clock face pattern in under-print. Swiss Cross is seen as a registration device.

                     The Back of the Swiss 10 Franc Banknote 

The Back of the 10 Franc Banknote highlights the legendary punctual Swiss Rail system and watch movements and shows a Swiss railroad tunnel,  exploded view of a watch movement; Swiss Rail network lines in under-print. 

The Banknote is made of a unique three-layered substrate called "Durasafe", containing two layers of cotton banknote paper fused together with a central core of transparent polymer. The Note is also equipped with the latest technological security standards.

The watermark is Swiss flag and globe.

Additional security is Holographic security stripe with 10, Swiss rail network and longest tunnels

Printer: Orell Fussli Security Printing Ltd.

Size of the Banknote: 123 mm x 70 mm Composite (Durasafe)

Colour is predominantly yellow

Date since introduced into circulation: 18.10.2017

b) The Five Runners Up:

1) Royal Bank of Scotland:

The Front of the 10 Pounds, Royal Bank of Scotland Banknote

The Front of the 10 Pounds, RBS Banknote shows Mathematician & Astronomer Mary Somerville, the Bank logo in SPARK Orbital, flowers, excerpt from Somerville's "The Connection of the Physical Sciences", beach of Somerville's hometown, Burntisland.

                           The Back of the 10 Pounds RBS Banknote

The Back of the 10 Pounds RBS Banknote shows two otters, botanicals used in dyeing and excerpt from Norman Mac Caig's poem "Moorings".

This Banknote has been printed by Thomas De La Rue and its colour is predominantly, brown, orange and red. It was introduced in circulation on 04.10.2017

2) Canada:

            The Front of the 10 Dollars Banknote from Canada

The Front of the 10 Dollars Banknote shows the Arch found in the Memorial Chamber on Parliament Hill , politicians John Alexander MacDonald, George-Etienne Cartier, Agnes Campbell Macphail, James Gladstone, stylised Maple leaf.

              The Back of the 10 Dollars Banknote from Canada

It shows Capilano Lake and Lions, Twin Sister Mountains (Western Canada), wheat field outside Regina, Saskatchewan (Prairie Provinces); Kipawa River and trees of the Canadian Shield in Parc National d'opemican (Central Canada), rocky coast of Cape Bonavista (Eastern Canada), northern lights above Wood Buffalo National Park (Northern Canada).

This Banknote has been printed by Canadian Bank Note Company and its colour is predominantly purple. The size of this Banknote is 152 mm x 70 mm. It was introduced in circulation on 01.06.2017.

3) Central Bank of Fiji:

                   The Front of the 7 Dollars Banknote from Fiji

The Front of the 7 Dollars Banknote shows the Fijian Flag, Olympic  coach Ben Ryan sitting on Sigatoka Sand Dunes, Olympic 7s captain Osea Kolinisau running with the ball, Olympic gold medal and RBF logo in OVI and Fijian Coat of Arms.

                 The Back of the 7 Dollars Banknote from Fiji

The Back of the 7 Dollars Banknote shows Fiji's Rugby "7s" Gold Olympians with Prime Minister Josaia Vorege Bainimarama and team officials; domodomo (horned mast head) and Reserve Bank of Fiji's logo.

This Banknote has been printed by Oberthur Fiduciare and its colour is predominantly blue. The size of this Banknote is 140 mm x 67 mm. It was introduced into circulation on 21.04.2017.

(I have this Banknote in my collection. For more details and information on the Currency of Fiji, please visit the following link: Banknotes & Coins of the South Pacific Island of Fiji )

4) Norway:

The Front of the 100 Kroner Banknote from Norges Bank, Norway

The Front of the 100 Kroner Banknote shows the Gokstad ship (Norway's largest preserved Viking ship dating back to around 900 AD) hull developed by Ulstein Design & Solutions, Atlantic puffin head with fish in its beak, Atlantic Puffin standing.

 The Back of the 100 Kroner Banknote from Norges Bank, Norway

The Back of the 100 Kroner Banknote shows a cargo ship in a pixelated motif, 4 metres per second (cubic pattern), the Constellation Orion, gentle breeze with crests beginning to break (organic pattern), stylised globe and an Atlantic puffin in flight.

This Banknote has been printed by Oberthur Technologies and its predominant colour is red.

The size of this banknote is 133 mm x 70 mm and it was introduced into circulation on 30.05.2017.

(For more information on this novel/innovative concept of pixelated banknotes from Norges Bank (Central Bank of Norway), which are the first of their kind under their new VIII Series with the theme "The Sea" being introduced in a phased manner from May 2017 to Q4 2020, please visit my post on the following link: Norges Bank's novel pixelated Banknotes with the theme "The Sea")

5) Djibouti:

                The Front of the 40 Francs Banknote from Djibouti

The Front of the 40 Francs Banknote shows a shark swimming among corals, starfish, sea shells and a sea horse. The Arabic and French text reads "40 EME ANNIVERSAIRE DE L 'INDEPENDANCE".

            The Back of the 40 Francs Banknote from Djibouti

The Back of the 40 Francs Banknote shows the 40th Anniversary logo, gantry cranes and container ships, a port, outline of a map of Djibouti.

This Banknote has been printed by Polska Wytwornia Papierow Wartosciowych and its colour is predominantly blue.

The size of this Banknote is 152 mm x 65 mm.