FX.co ★ World’s most beautiful and hi-tech banknotes

Australian dollar (AUD)

Waterproof Australian money is extremely difficult to counterfeit. It has a polymer base and an optical protection element (hologram) in a transparent plastic "window". Besides, the note has a very complex design. All this guarantees reliable protection and a strong position among the leading currencies.

The fight against the counterfeiting was provoked by a release of a huge number of counterfeit banknotes in the Australian Union in the 1960s.

Images on the Australian money symbolize the gender equality. On the front side of the banknote there are portraits of outstanding men of the continent’s history and the opposite side is designed with images of prominent women, including Elizabeth II who could not find a worthy couple.

China’s yuan (CNY)

In 2016, the Chinese yuan was included in the SDR basket and gained the third position after the US dollar and the euro. On the front side of the Chinese banknotes of all values you can see a portrait of Mao Zedong and the national emblem. The Chinese banknotes are updated from time to time and the old ones are withdrawn from the circulation.

The 100-yuan bill is the most interesting in terms of technology. It was released in 2005. The banknote is red and its front shows a Japanese plum while on the opposite side the Great Hall of the People in Beijing is printed. The bill gained its popularity due to the fact that it is the most common and counterfeited currency in China.

The Chinese government did it best to create not only the most beautiful, but also the most inconvenient banknote. People do not like it because of its big size and problems with ATMs that do not always recognize the note.

Aruban Florin (AWG)

Aruba is a tiny island situated near the Northern coast of Venezuela and it is a self-governing state entity within the Netherlands. Its own currency appeared just in 1986 and it reflects the national identity, including wildlife features expressed through a variety of colors and images of local animals.

Notes with a nominal value of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 Aruban florins were designed by the artist Avelino Fingal. You can see it on the front of the banknotes. The reverse part was decorated with ornamental patterns typical of the island population in the pre-Columbian era. The Aruban coins, which are similar in design, image, and material, differ in form and the way they are minted.

South African rand (ZAR)

The South African national currency was introduced in 1961 keeping some features of the replaced South African pound.

New banknotes feature the "Big Five" animals of the country on one side, and the face of Nelson Mandela on the other. The front side of coins of all the values is decorated with the national emblem and the country’s name written in one of the languages of indigenous people. On the opposite side there are animals, birds or plants of South Africa.

Rands are used not only in South Africa, but also on the territory of The Common Monetary Area, including Namibia, Swaziland, and Lesotho. Nowadays, South Africa is a real economic giant on the African continent.

Canadian dollar (CAD)

New Canadian banknotes attract attention by their vertical format and transparency

A newly designed $10 bill has a portrait of Nova Scotia's Viola Desmond, a civil rights activist, on the front-facing side. On the opposite side, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba is depicted. In 2018, the $10 bill won international banknote of the year design award. The International Bank Note Society, an organizer of the contest, was impressed by the unique design, robustness, and high protective qualities of the banknote.

The Bank of Canada that issued an advanced bill last November decided to develop the idea of the vertical format of notes.

Vietnamese dong (VND)

Anybody who decides to exchange currencies of the developed countries for the Vietnamese dong becomes a millionaire due to a very low exchange rate. A bill of 100 dongs has the smallest value. Tourists can book a city tour for 500,000 dongs. The coins value varies from 200 to 5,000 dongs.

The front-facing side of all bills features a portrait of Ho Chi Minh, the country's former president, whereas back sides are designed with the national places of interest.

The current bills are made of plastic thus looking attractive, convenient, and durable. Besides, microprinting “windows” and other advanced security features make them especially difficult to counterfeit. Old paper money is used for fraudulent purposes that is why it is neither issued by the government nor accepted by the citizens.

New Zealand dollar (NZD)

In New Zealand and on a number of nearby islands banknotes of the following nominal values are in circulation: 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 New Zealand dollars. Besides, people use coins of 1 and 2 dollars as well as coins of 50, 20, 10, and 5 cents.

In 2015-2016, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand issued a new series of colorful bills that depict various scientists, cultural and historical figures (on the front side) and rare Polynesian animals (on the opposite side). New banknotes are made of polymer and have upgraded security features.

Bahamian dollar (BSD)

The national currency of the Bahamas was introduced by the colonial government in 1966. The notes attract attention by their colorful design being typical of the post-colonial countries. Today, circulating coins exist in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 15, 25 cents with engravings of starfish and pineapples, whereas bills exist in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 Bahamian dollars.

The front side of notes features portraits of statesmen and politicians who contributed to the country’s development. The opposite side is decorated with landscapes and sights of the country.

Cook Islands dollar (COK)

The Cook Islands consist of 15 islands and atolls. It is a self-governing public entity in the Polynesian triangle. The state’s own currency was widely used from 1972 to 1955 along with the New Zealand dollar to which value it was pegged to. Colorful anniversary samples of the Cook Islands dollars are still produced and have a legal status, but they are rarely used for paying for goods.

One of these bills shows a naked girl with a coconut in her hands riding a shark. The legend says that Ina rode a shark to get to her fiancé, Tinirau, the God of the Sea, after traveling from the Cook Islands. However, she was thrown into the ocean because of her ingratitude.