1317) 100 Florin Banknote issued by the Central Bank of Aruba is the winner of the 2019 International Bank Note of the Year Award (IBNS):

1317) 100 Florin Banknote issued by the Central Bank of Aruba is the winner of the 2019 International Bank Note of the Year Award (IBNS):

The Central Bank of Aruba has issued a new five-Banknote Series of 1, 5, 10, 25, 100 and 200 Florin Banknotes on 30.06.2019.

The series called the "Stars of Aruba" was the first redesign in 30 years. The vertical format of the Banknotes draws on artistic elements from Aruba's culture, flora and fauna. These Banknotes were jointly developed with Crane Currency, who also did the printing.

For my comprehensive Post on the "Stars of Aruba" Banknote series, please visit the following link: 

 A New 2019 Fourth Series of Banknotes, Aruba, issued by the Central Bank of Aruba (Centrale Bank van Aruba) on 04.06.2019 comprising five denominations with the theme of "Endangered Flora and Fauna of Aruba" and historic monuments and landmarks

The International Bank Note of the Year (IBNS Award):

 The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) Banknote of the Year Award is an initiative of the IBNS to recognise an exceptional Banknote issued each year. The IBNS competitions began in 2004.

The IBNS announced that the voting membership had selected the Central Bank of Aruba to receive its annual prestigious "Bank Note of the Year Award" for 2019.

Nominations for the 2019 Award closed on 31.01.2020.

Among the criteria for the nominated Banknotes is that the Banknotes should have been issued to the public (specimens and non-circulating currencies are ineligible) for the first time during the year of the award, and must have artistic merit and/or innovative security features, and be in general circulation.

Banknotes are judged and the winner decided by a vote of the IBNS, who considers the artistic merit, design, use of colour, contrast, balance and security features of each nomination.

The IBNS Banknote of the Year Award is an initiative of the IBNS to recognise an exceptional Banknote issued each year.

The 2019 IBNS Competition Award winner - the 100 Florin Banknote from Aruba:

With well over 100 new Banknotes released worldwide during 2019, only 22 were deemed of sufficiently new design to be member nominated.

Almost  from the beginning, Aruba's new 100 Florin Banknote led the voting followed by an almost virtual tie between Eastern Caribbean States ($10 with multiple motifs), Northern Ireland Ulster Bank (5 Pounds flying geese with people on the shoreline) and Switzerland (100 Francs human hands). Norway's 1000 Kroner (large wave breaking design) placed fifth. Nevertheless, every Banknote which was nominated received at least, a few votes.

About the winner of the IBNS-2019 Award:

The "Stars of Aruba" Banknote Series was introduced to the small Caribbean island's 120,000 residents with both humour, public interaction and a mobile application - "Aruba su florin". The goal was a complete Banknote series redesign.

The result is quite astonishing, including a new vertical format, beautiful artistic elements from Aruban culture, flora and fauns and even a new 200 Florin denomination, which replaced the old 500 Florin.

Most striking is one of the most secure Banknote features available using high-relief printing, watermarks, colour changing ink, the OMRON Rings and a 3D MOTION SURFACE(R), moving stripe with miniaturised micro-optics from printer Crane Currency. 

The unique designs are truly eye catching and effectively balance the challenge of anti-counterfeit technology with production costs.

As a first time entrant into the IBNS Banknote of the Year competition, Aruba's award winning success may now provide a template for other countries to consider in designing and promoting new Banknotes.

On the Back  the 100 Florin Banknote is predominantly emerald green in colour, with a large "iguana" in the centre and an indigenous lizard - the "striped anole (Anolis lineatus)" - on the left.

On the Front the 100 Florin Banknote the predominantly green and blue colour design shows images of dancing women in native dress, with ribbons and leaves from the Aloe plant - an economic mainstay. 

For the IBNS "Banknote of the Year Award" winner posts on this blog, please visit the following links:

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

3) Currency of the Comoros Islands: Comorian Franc and Centimes; Also includes the 5000 Franc Banknote dated 2005 (but released into circulation in 2006), which was the 2007 IBNS Award Winner

4) 100 Florin Banknote issued by the Central Bank of Aruba is the winner of the 2019 International Banknote of the Year Award (IBNS)

5) 100 Levs Banknote from Bulgaria, wins the prestigious "Regional Banknote of the Year Award 2019"

6) Viola Desmond, Civil Rights Activist & the first Canadian woman to feature on a circulation Banknote: A $10 Polymer vertically oriented Banknote issued by Bank of Canada on 19.11.2018 is the 2018 IBNS Banknote of the Year

For some other interesting posts on Currencies of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, please visit the following links:

1) Currency and Coinage of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas - The Bahamian Dollar and Cents 

2) Currency and Coinage of Bermuda - Bermuda Dollar and Cents

3) East Caribbean Currency and Coinage : East Caribbean Dollar and Cents

4) Currency & Coinage of the Cayman Islands: A British Overseas Territory: Dollars and Cents

5) Currency and Coinage of the Falkland Islands: A British Overseas Territory: Pounds and Pence

6) Currency & Coinage of Barbados: Barbadian Dollars and Cents

7) Jamaica: A 100 Dollars "Hybrid" Banknote issued by the Bank of Jamaica on 01.01.2014

8) Eastern Caribbean New Banknote Series being issued by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), beginning with the introduction of $50 and $100 new Banknotes in the new Series

9) "Rum Runner", Antigua & Barbados: First coin out of 8 to be issued in the Eastern Caribbean God & Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme" (EC8 Coin Programme") - all coins to be released durring 2018: Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars) and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars):

10) "Brown Pelican", St. Kitts & Nevis (SKN): Second Coin out of 8 to be issued in the "Eastern caribbean Gold & silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme" (EC8 Coin Programme) - all coins to be released during 2018: Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars) and Silver Bullion coins (2 Dollars)

11) "Nature Isle", Dominica: Third coin out of 8 to be issued in the Eastern Caribbean Gold & Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme" ("EC8 Coin Programme) - all coins to be released diring 2018: Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars) and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars:

12) "Montserratian Territorial Flag & Coat of Arms" Montserrat (British Overseas Territory (BOT): Fourth Coin out of 8 to be issued in the Eastern Caribbean Gold & Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme" ("EC8 Programme") - all coins to be released in 2018: Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars) and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars)

13) "Spice Island of the Caribbean", Grenada: Fifth Coin out of 8 to be issued in the "Eastern Caribbean Gold & Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme" ("EC8 Programme") - all coins to be released in 2018: Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars) and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars)

14) Anguilla - "Culinary Capital" of the East caribbean: Sixth Coin out of 8 to be issued in the Eastern Caribbean Gold & Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme: "EC8 Coin Programme"): all coins to be released with the issue date as 2018 - Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars) and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars):

15) "Seaplane" St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Seventh Coin out of eight to be issued in the Eastern Caribbean Gold & Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme: (EC8 Programme) - all coins to be issued with the date as "2018": Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars) and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars)

16) "Flamingo", St. Lucia: Eighth and last coin to be issued in the Eastern Caribbean Gold and Silver Bullion and Commemorative Coin Programme: (EC8 Pragramme) - all coins were released with the issue date as 2018: Gold Bullion Coins (10 Dollars)and Silver Bullion Coins (2 Dollars)
17) The Bahamas: "CRISP" (Counterfeit Resistant Integrated Security Product) Series of new Banknotes: A new half-dollar Banknote issued by the Central Bank of The Bahamas on 24.01.2019

18) Sea Motifs, Bahamas: Gold Bullion Coins in the denominations of 100 Dollars (depicting a Blue Marlin) and 250 Dollars (depicting a Conch Shell): Coins issue date: 03.12.2019

19) A new Generation $100 Polymer Banknote, Trinidad and Tobago with enhanced security features to "raise the bar" for counterfeiters & unscrupulous elements: Banknote circulation date: 09.12.2019:

20) Festival di Tumba (Carnival of Curacao), Curacao: "50th Edition of the Curacao Carnival/Festival" held from 27-31.01.2020: A set of six Commemorative Postage Stamps brought out by Cpost (Curacao Post) on 20.02.2020

21) New Polymer Banknotes, Trinidad and Tobago: The entire series will consist of $100, $50, $20, $10, $5 and $1 denominations: $100 has already been issued on 09.12.2019

 22) A New 2019 Fourth Series of Banknotes, Aruba, issued by the Central Bank of Aruba (Centrale Bank van Aruba) on 04.06.2019 comprising five denominations with the theme of "Endangered Flora and Fauna of Aruba" and historic monuments and landmarks