Dominican Republic Commemorates 70 Years
To celebrate its 70th anniversary, the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic issued a commemorative $500 banknote last October, the first note to include Louisenthal’s optically variable Galaxy® thread. It also issued two versions of a special commemorative $70 peso coin.
The current series of Dominican pesos is denominated in banknotes of $50, $100, $200, $500, $1,000 and $2,000 and in coins of $1, $5, $10 and $25. The current note series was introduced in 2014, based on the same motifs and themes as the previous series (issued in 2011 when the name of the currency was changed from ‘peso oro’ to ‘peso dominicano’) but with more modern colours, designs and new security features.
The design of the commemorative $500 note is similar to its circulating predecessor. It continues with the predominantly green colour scheme, with the front of the note showing portraits of Dominican poet and founder of women’s higher education, Salomé Ureña, and her son Pedro Henríquez Ureña, who was a Dominican essayist, philosopher, humanist, philologist and literary critic.
The key difference is the change in security thread. As mentioned, the commemorative $500 banknote features Louisenthal’s Galaxy security thread, the first note issued by a central bank to do so. Shown on the front of the note alongside the OVI feature, the thread features the ‘Saturn’ version of Galaxy whereby three circular patterns appear to move in a 3D effect and change colour from gold to green when the banknote is tilted, complementing the design used in the SPARK feature.
The other difference seen on the front of the commemorative note is the design of the optically variable ink (OVI) feature using SICPA’s SPARK® Truespin technology. It displays the numeral ‘70’ within an icon illustrating the central bank’s building, which is considered one of the best examples of modern Dominican architecture. When the note is tilted, the colour of the ink changes from gold to green in an orbiting circular style.
Speaking at the launch of the commemorative banknote, the Governor of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Héctor Valdéz, said that it is the first use of an icon depicting the building, following a trend set by other central banks around the world, helping to reinforce the Bank’s visual identity and promote its strength, credibility and institutional reputation.
Optimal security
According to Louisenthal, optimal security when using the Galaxy thread is reached through the integration of its ColourShift effects into a multi-layered structure, which combines to provide a highly attractive and user-friendly feature. The motifs appear at various depths on the foil and the graphic elements can be viewed from all angles, producing a three-dimensional image with 360° authentication.
The remaining security features used on the note continue to be the same as the previous version of the note, including a latent image, tactile feature for the visually impaired, watermark, microtext and iridescent ink.
The commemorative $500 is considered by the Bank to be a circulating banknote alongside the 2014 version. All of the 2014 series, and the new note, are produced on cotton-based paper. A polymer $20 note was issued in 2010, but did not form part of the 2014 series, as it was withdrawn from circulation.
Together with the commemorative banknote, the Bank also issued commemorative $70 coins in gold and silver. Both versions have the same design, with the Bank’s new logo on the front depicting its headquarters, and, on the reverse, the Dominican Republic coat-of-arms, the value of the coin and the 70th anniversary logo. Further information is available on the website of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, and Youtube.
Further Reading
Galaxy® Security Threads
Clear authentication, high dynamics and 3D effects – Louisenthal has rolled all these properties into an innovative security thread technology. Galaxy is based on tiny microscopic mirrors plus ColourShift, a technology which provides a brilliant visual experience and extreme protection against counterfeiting.
Printed Security Features
Iridescent and colour-changing inks create alluring, anti-copy security effects, making them ideal for rapid authentication. Depending on the viewing angle, the printed elements are either visible or change colour when the note is tilted.