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Designing Sustainable Security

In the competition between payment systems, the requirements for banknotes are constantly increasing. Security, sustainability and design are the core elements of a successful banknote – and are at the heart of Louisenthal’s development work.

The security features amplify the storytelling on all notes and give each note its own distinct colour scheme, look and feel. Beauty enhanced by technology.

With the current concept notes Green LongLife™, Green Banknote and the Jump™ Camera Note, these aspects are strengthened by different approaches – and offer central banks the opportunity to find their perfect combination for every denomination, every climate and cash cycle.

Dynamics Brings Banknotes to Life

Picture of a green banknote with image of a hand touching a pink lotus flower on it

If you want to stay one step ahead of counterfeiters, you cannot afford to stand still when it comes to developing security features. And central banks know that currency is not only used and valued by the public but should also be easily authenticated. This is not compromised when choosing these security features. Louisenthal relies not only on features that are extremely complex to produce and replicate, but also on the fact that they are quickly recognisable and intuitively verifiable – and a pleasure to look at.

Green LongLife™ is our latest concept note that combines sustainability, security and design into a unique product. With more than 85% biobased carbon content, it sets a new benchmark for the industry. The microscopically thin coating, inspired by the lotus flower, significantly improves the banknote’s life, as soiling is the main reason why banknotes become unfit. This makes a country’s cash cycle more sustainable – and more efficient. In addition, it has a low carbon footprint due to factors including the deployment of sustainable materials like organic cotton, the use of renewable energy, and its high durability. And mineral-oilfree inks. It was because of this that the foil-based security element on the Green LongLife™ sample banknote won an ‘Excellence in Holography Award’ from the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA).

Closeup of banknote with lotus flower motive and water drops

Green-pink banknote depicting woman with lotus flower on a boat and color-changing security thread

Green Banknote – Making Sustainability Look Great

Better than Plastic: Less Plastic

A simple and obvious notion when it comes to sustainability. Avoiding plastic whenever feasible is a key aspect of environmentally conscious behaviour. With our banknotes based on renewable raw materials, we are on the right track towards a green cash cycle. By minimising the use of polymers for ultra-thin coatings on banknotes, we offer central banks the longest possible durability for their printed currency while at the same time maximising sustainability. For the paper core of the Green Banknote, we use an optimised mixture of fibres to minimise carbon emissions. The core thus consists of 50% cotton from certified sources of organic cultivation and 50% European grown fibres from FSC^® (FSC-C138716) certified wood pulp from responsible forestry. This material mix reduces the CO₂ footprint of the paper core by 63%, and the plastic content in the Green Banknote’s Hybrid substrate is reduced by 86% compared to polymer banknotes. The Green Banknote is more than a sustainable product. It is a contribution to a more sustainable future and higher public acceptance for cash as a preferred means of payment. The Green Banknote was honoured with the IACA Excellence in Currency Award.

Security Truly Can Bee Fascinating: The varifeye® ColourChange Patch

This stunning security feature allows for a high level of creativity and recognition in security. On the Green Banknote, you can observe a golden bee with an Animate-effect, creating a stunning 3D effect that gives the wings the appearance of motion. When the banknote is held against the light, the colour transitions from gold to blue. The honeycombs in the surrounding area display lines, value numbers, and dandelion seeds. This not only enhances the beauty of the Green Banknote but also increases its security.

Made to Make a Change, Even with Colours

This is not only an unbeatably sustainable banknote, it is also particularly secure. In addition to Level 1 security features, we can accommodate Level 2 features such as magnetic threads; and the Green Banknote literally shines with its Level 3 dynamics and colour change effects. Sustainability and security can look truly fascinating – all you have to do is tilt the note.

What Do Security and Sustainability Look Like? You Decide

Technically sophisticated, highly secure, and more sustainable than ever before, our latest concept notes are miniature masterpieces. Transform them into art that narrates the story of your country. The security features, including effects such as colour change and dynamics, open up entirely new avenues for presenting complex themes in a captivating manner on a banknote. This, in turn, enhances security. After all, people enjoy gazing at an attention-grabbing banknote, and those who notice the security features will instinctively verify its authenticity. The possibilities here are virtually limitless. Our design team is always ready to offer advice and assistance to help you craft unique works of art for your country.

A Quantum Leap We Call JUMP™

JUMP™ marks a groundbreaking advancement in banknote design, seamlessly incorporating a variety of attention-grabbing security features to facilitate distinctive storytelling. The banknote seems to come alive, especially through the dynamic interplay of 3D SPARK^® technology and the RollingStar^® LEAD foil when tilted. The camera lens opens and closes when the banknote is tilted northsouth, revealing two ring structures within the lens that exhibit a brilliant omnidirectional dynamic depth effect that we call Galaxy. Simultaneously, the building depicted in the lower part of the slide undergoes animation, showcasing opposing rolling bar effects on each floor. The building doubles as the cameraman’s tie. All elements on the banknote feature a ColourShift coating applied to the micromirrors. This coating facilitates a colour change from gold to green when the banknote is tilted. The lady positioned on the left edge of the note, printed using SPARK Flow technology, also exhibits a corresponding colour shift, complemented by a ribbon costume. Leverage JUMP™ to narrate tales of acknowledged and pivotal historical or cultural events in an innovative and unparalleled manner – from its inception and distinctive attributes to the portrayal of significant historical moments.