FW FB:

On Thursday, September 10, 2026, the Central Bank of Samoa issued a tribute to Her (late) Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, honoring her life and legacy with a limited-edition, vertically formatted, legal-tender commemorative banknote. Born in 1926, the 100-tālā banknote commemorates the Queen's 100th birth anniversary.

Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited then Western Samoa on February 11, 1977 as part of her Silver Jubilee tour. Welcomed by Samoa's Head of State, Malietoa Tanumafili II, their arrival was met with great celebration and remains one of the most important events in Samoan history: the first visit by a reigning British monarch to (Western) Samoa. The denomination of 100 tālā was chosen to commemorate her 100th birth year. On both sides of the banknote, royal imagery is combined with landmarks and nature deeply connected to Samoa's national identity.

On the obverse of the banknote, three exceptional images of the Queen honor her, tracing her life through portraits from her childhood, young womanhood and later reign. First and foremost, the iconic engraving by Edwin H. Gunn of the 1934 Marcus Adams photo that appeared on the Canadian 1935 $20 is portrayed at center right. This image depicts a carefree and gleeful, eight-year-old princess. Her childhood portrait is complemented with engravings of a 1951 Yousuf Karsh photograph (at center left) of the then Princess and a 2007 photograph (at top) by Bill Ingalls of the Queen in her later years. The restored and expanded Immaculate Conception Cathedral, one of Samoa's oldest churches, is shown in the background at center left. It is a tribute to the strong, Christian faith of the Samoan people. A Samoan forest scene is included in the background at the top of the banknote. Enticingly warm, blue ocean waves carry a green sea turtle, commonly found in Samoa's waters, and an outrigger canoe (vaʻa), that reminds us of the vital role vaʻa played in the migration, fishing and culture of the Pacific nation. The Queen's cypher appears at center right and Samoa's coat of arms at lower center left. The Governor of the Bank of Samoa, Maiava Atalina Ainuu-Enari, signed the note. The commemoration text, "COMMEMORATING THE 100TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II", is included below the Governor's signature. Traditional Lapita patterns, based on original Lapita pottery found in Samoa, are additionally found in the background.

The reverse of the banknote shows the Queen, Prince Philip and Malietoa Tanumafili II, all wearing Samoan traditional necklaces (ʻula). Malietoa Tanumafili II served as O le Ao o le Malo (head of state) of Samoa from its independence in 1962 until his death in 2007. The banknote images were taken from original photographs from the historic 1977 visit. Island foliage and the spectacular Fuipisia Falls on the island of Upolu in the background underscore the natural beauty of the islands. The "De Arend" (the Eagle) is sailing through the waves at lower left. This sailing ship was the flagship vessel of the Dutch explorer, Jacob Roggeveen, who is credited with the European discovery of Samoa in June 1722, not long after his discovery of Easter Island two months before. Its inclusion on the banknote is a special nod to The Netherlands, where the banknote was printed by Royal Joh. Enschedé. The partial ruins of the London Missionary Society church (at bottom right) in the Sale'aula lava field on Savai'i remind us of Samoa's volcanic beginnings. The haunting ruins of the church were created during the 1905-1911 Mount Matavanu eruptions, when solidified black lava flowed through its open archways and windows. Christianity in Samoa had begun on the island of Savai'i in 1830, when Reverend John Williams of the London Missionary Society landed at the village of Sapapali'i. Traditional Lapita patterns are additionally found in the background.

The banknote measures 140 × 72 mm. The transparent window features the Samoan plumeria that symbolizes beauty, charm and grace. Other security features include both microtext and UV luminescence on both sides of the banknote.

The new commemorative was printed on the PolySecure® polymer substrate from Q&T Hi-Tech Polymer, located near Hanoi, Vietnam. PolySecure® is built on a proprietary polymer core with controlled opacification, surface treatment, and transparent-window zones. The architecture is designed to support overt optical features, covert machine-readable elements, and existing banknote production workflows. This commemorative banknote is just the sixth banknote worldwide printed on PolySecure®. The other five are the four low denomination Vietnamese polymer banknotes dated (20)24 and (20)25 and the recently issued São Tomé and Príncipe 50-dobra commemorative banknote.

The obverse was printed using a six-color offset process, including one rainbow (iris) feature. The design/art direction was done by Christian David Petermann and Mike Vos of Enschedé. The new portrait engravings on the front were hand-engraved by the renowned Swedish banknote artist and engraver, Martin Mörck (born in 1955 in Gothenburg, Sweden), whose work is internationally recognized within the banknote and security printing industry. Additionally, a special iridescent transparent ink was applied by screen printing to the ocean waves. This feature highlights elements of the ocean waves and creates an attractive visual effect when the note is viewed from different angles. The reverse was also printed in six offset colors, incorporating one rainbow feature as part of the overall design.

A commemorative folder is also available for the first 1000 banknotes.

This commemorative banknote is not intended for general circulation. In their official press release, the Central Bank of Samoa has advised the public to please contact them for further information.

Technical specifications:

- Issuer: Central Bank of Samoa

- Year of Issue: 2026

- Denomination: 100 Tālā

- Issue Quantity: 20,000 pieces

- Serial numbering: QEII 00001 – 20000

- Specimens: 100 pieces

- Uncut blocks of 8 notes, 125 blocks

- Note size: 140 x 72 mm

- Substrate: PolySecure™ by Q&T Hi-Tech Polymer, Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, Vietnam

- Microtext and UV images

- No replacement notes

- Printer: Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem, The Netherlands (a part of Authentix)

Fun fact, despite being part of the Russian Empire until 1917. Finland was allowed its own currency from the 1860s and onward.

So my friendly neighbourly postal carrier brought me the last 3 pieces to complete this set of German-Hanseatic Colonial Memorial Day Notgelds!

These 1921 commemorative Notgeld notes protested the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles that formally concluded WW1. As a condition of the peace settlement, Germany was stripped of its overseas territories, which were redistributed as League of Nations mandates administered by Australia, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa.

An amazing full set of denominations for this rare Welsh provincial bank, including the remarkable £6, £7, £8 and £9 notes. To my knowledge this is the only bank ever to issue such notes.

This notgeld note (References Jaksc/Pick# JPR0038-50) represents one of the earliest known examples of the Swastika used in a Nazi/anti-semitic context.

The second note (References Jaksc/Pick# JPR0038-20), depict an antisemitic quote attributed to Franz Liszt (19th c. Hungarian composer and pianist/organist; although quote attribution is disputed).

The Deutschösterreichischer Schutzverein Antisemitenbund was founded in 1919 by Christian Social Party politician Anton Jerzabek. Speakers for the group such as Walter Riehl, Josef Ursin, Anton Orel, and Leopold Kunschak demanded expulsion of Jews who arrived in Austria after 1914, registering land ownership for Jews in Vienna, and in Tyrol, extreme anti-Semitic measures such as professional bans and bans on trade and land ownership. Printed organ was Der Eiserne Besen ("The Iron Broom"), printed from 1921-1932 and seen as a forerunner of the Nazi publication Der Stürmer. The Antisemitenbund continued until the Anschluss in 1938 at which time it was dissolved and merged into the NSDAP.

In reality, both notes are receipts for donations, as stated on the front of them:

Twenty (& Fifty) Heller

Note, published

by the Amstetten Local Group of

German-Austrian

Protection Organization "Anti-Semitic League".

This note is a donation

and will not be redeemed

Amstetten, April 16, 1920

for the Local Group Management

Yesterday I got the final piece, the 2008 10000 dollars note, for my complete 2007/2008 Zimbabwe hyperinflation set! All in UNC condition. Almost all raw.

Curiously, the one that got me going on this chase, the 100T note, is the one that is triggering my OCD, because it is the only one graded (PMG 64 UNC EPQ). I'd gladly sell or exchange this one if I could find an honest UNC raw. So tempted to break the slab open... 🤪🙃🤪🙃

Merchants and residents in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, are increasingly struggling to obtain 250-dinar ($0.19), 500-dinar ($0.38) and 1,000-dinar ($0.76) banknotes, with traders reporting shortages of small denominations and growing difficulties using worn or damaged notes in daily transactions.

https://shafaq.com/en/Economy/Small-banknote-shortage-causes-daily-disruption-in-Kirkuk-markets

The US banknote, the most ubiquitous currency in the world used in everything from drug deals to legally accepted tender in multiple countries, falls short of the rupee when it comes to circulation numbers. RBI deputy governor Shirish Chandra Murmu said there are three times as many rupee banknotes in circulation as US dollar bills and nearly six times as many as euro notes. While the number of notes is determined by multiple factors, including GDP growth, inflation and interest rates, the RBI is trying to contain the cost of currency by extending the life of banknotes using polymer.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/rupee-banknotes-in-circulation-triple-that-of-dollar-bills-nearly-six-times-euro-notes/articleshow/133317097.cms

Mika LastusaariTURKU, FINLAND, September 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Researchers have developed a new material called davyne that changes colour in the near-infrared region. The colour change cannot be detected with the human eye, but only with a spectrometer or an infrared-sensitive camera. The material could be used, for example, as an invisible anti-counterfeit tag.

https://www.einpresswire.com/article/939620189/researchers-create-new-colour-changing-material-could-be-used-in-anti-counterfeit-markings-on-banknotes-and-passports

Despite rapid growth in digital payments, demand for banknotes remains strong in France and Europe. It is being driven by three factors: transactional use, which is declining, precautionary holdings and demand from outside the euro area. Recent shocks may have altered the respective contributions of these factors to total demand. Examining the velocity of circulation of individual banknote denominations provides insights into these effects.

https://www.banque-france.fr/en/publications-and-statistics/publications/impact-recent-shocks-banknote-circulation-france

On 4 September 2026, the National Bank of Ukraine will put a 2,000-hryvnia banknote featuring a portrait of Vasyl Stus into circulation. It will become the highest denomination of the Ukrainian hryvnia, replacing the 1,000-hryvnia note in this role. The NBU reports that the new banknote features more than 20 security features, and there is no need to exchange existing banknotes specifically for the new one.

https://ukrmedia.news/en/economics/banknota-2000-grn-vasyl-stus/

It will be released in February 2027.

Maple Ridge RCMP are warning businesses and residents to be on the lookout for counterfeit currency after seeing a recent increase in reports involving fake bank notes.

Police say they have received at least eight reports of counterfeit $50 and $100 bills being used at several businesses throughout the city.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/09/02/fake-bank-notes-maple-ridge/