The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) issued a 15,000 Riel banknote on October 29th, 2019 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni’s ascension to the throne of Cambodia. The note has received a lot of attention and awards not only for its beautiful design, but also because of its technical capability.
It’s the first note designed and printed entirely at the NBC’s Banknote Factory; the first Cambodian note printed on Landqart’s Durasafe® platform; the first note of its kind to circulate in Southeast Asia; and the first note with Hueck Folien’s TRILUMIC® holographic foil.
Both the front and back of the 15,000 Riel Memorabilia have been meticulously designed with a selection of 52 features, including a focus on light levels, security elements, and a variety of colours, as well as the use of effective anti-duplication technology and many other highly specialised features.
Images representing the Kingdom’s identities can also be found on the currency. The portrait of the King is in the centre of the note, next to a seven-headed naga’s status at Angkor Wat, the symbolic mythical creature and protector of the monarch.
The artwork on the other side depicts King Sihamoni with his parents on the day of his coronation, combining the country’s cultural aspects with its modern achievements.
It also features a photograph of the Win-Win Monument, which symbolises the country’s hard-earned peace and is a core part of the country’s current rapid progress.
It has a unique see-through image and two-color serial numbering with separate inks, and it was printed with three different UV fluorescent inks.
The selection panel for the Regional Banknote of the Year 2019 award recognised this outstanding list of “firsts,” and the note was duly awarded this prestigious prize.
The note was named the “New Asia-Pacific 2019 Banknote” by Reconnaissance International at the 18th High Security Printing Asia Conference in Yokohama, Japan, in April 2022.
This prize recognises the fact that the National Bank of Cambodia’s local production techniques are modern, high-level, and safe, incorporating the art of design and technology that reflects the country’s cultural heritage through the design of the symbol, and using technology to prevent fraud, according to H.E Chea Chanto, Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia, in a letter dated April 8, 2022, reporting to Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Source: Khmer Times and Google
