Solomon Islands $5 banknote of Central Bank of the Solomon IslandsFinalist Nomination for IACA Award - SUSI FLIP™

The SUSI Flip™ Security Feature used on the Solomon Islands new polymer $5 note was nominated and won the 2020 Best New Currency Feature Technical Award by the International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA).

currencyaffairs.org/2020-technical-awards-winners/

“This selection recognises the outstanding nature of your organisation’s efforts, and its contribution towards making currency the best that it can be,” said Eugenie Foster, IACA President.

 
IACA

Behind the security feature SUSI Flip™

SUSI Flip™, developed by Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions takes advantage of the Simultan IV’s precise registration, a very cost effective feature where a single-coloured design under daylight flips into a completely different 3-coloured design under UV light. This effect is achieved using only 2 offset plates of the same daylight colour, but with different UV tints. The juxtaposition of line makes the impression of the third colour possible. The design treatment developed by the Note Printing Australia (NPA) Design team extended the sustainable fishing theme to this level 2 feature.

This advanced ­fluorescent Security Feature takes advantage of the Simultan Offset[1] printing technology, compatible with all substrates, offering complete freedom of design and placement.

“This security element increases banknote security compared to standard UV features as it exploits the full potential of the Simultan Offset precision on the same side registration. Due to its configuration and complexity, the SUSI Flip™ is more advanced than any other offset UV feature on the market. It is virtually impossible to reproduce using commercially available technologies and thus very difficult to counterfeit. Finally, the feature is easy to recognise and understand for the public.” - highlights Hervé Guillerey, Head of Banknote Innovation & Design Services at Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions.

About the Solomon Island $5 note

For the Solomon Islands with a population of more than 600’000, six major islands and more than 600 smaller islands battling harsh note-handling conditions, the Central Bank of the Solomon Islands conducted a survey of their banknote environment in 2011. They found a need to improve note performance in the cash cycle, to heighten Security Features with the use of polymer substrate, where a new note design was also an opportunity to put in place a new identity their community could relate to.

Identity

The Solomon Islands’ future vision embraces a sustainable and responsible fishing industry. While long term economic stability is critical, it was the durability and recyclable characteristic of polymer banknotes that was chosen and provided by NPA.

Providing context for the nation’s future fishing industry, a digitally engraved vignette of the yellowfin tuna and a traditional fishing hook on the front of the note provided importance of sustainability the locals empathised. Core security design modules, along with a comprehensive set of drawing tools and output devices, come together to provide a smooth and secure flow to the pre-press plate stage. Engraving depths, profiles and ink retaining structures all were generated and easily modified to optimise the look and feel of intaglio and were efficiently rasterised using Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions ONE design software[2].

Tactile marks

Besides the SUSI Flip™, the new polymer $5 note featured double-sided and embossed tactile marks on two opposite corners, providing a distinctive feel to a banknote as well as its accessibility to the 1% of islanders who are blind or vision impaired.

Fast forward to 2nd of May 2019, the Solomon Island 5 Dollar was issued on UN World Tuna day and also became the world’s first circulating note to feature the SUSI Flip™, Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions’ advanced UV Phosphorescent security feature on polymer substrate by Note Printing Australia.

“This new note is important to us as banknotes allow to convey a strong sense of community and social cohesion by communicating important national issues. We are also very proud to be the pioneer in using SUSI Flip™ that combines a very high security level and a strong visual impact.” - explains Daniel Haridi, Chief Manager, Currency, Banking & Payments department of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands.

Award Nomination by International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA)

The Excellence in Currency Awards were introduced by IACA in 2007 to promote and recognise excellence in currency issue, production, processing, management and distribution. The awards are sponsored by Currency News and will be announced at the Banknote Conference in Washington DC, 2021.
Koeng & Bauer Banknote Solutions

A global provider of high security printing solutions since 1952. At Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions, we know that speed is nothing without control. Therefore we offer a complete set of process and quality control tools to create a perfect balance precision and performance.
Note Printing Australia

A high security printer that cares deeply about the well-being of the people and nations that use their banknotes and passports. As a 100% subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Australia, they have built their policies and business processes around the highest standards of integrity and ethics while delivering banknotes and passports on-time, on-budget, and to the highest quality.


 

Source

[1] The Super Simultan IV is one of Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions’ Simultan Offset solutions. This machine remains the leading simultaneous offset printing press for banknote production capable of consistently printing the most demanding designs at 10'000 sheets per hour.

Registration between colours and elements printed on the Super Simultan IV is line perfect and cannot be achieved using commercial based offset printing presses.

[2] Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions is also the provider of offset and intaglio ONE dedicated software for designing security patters and element creation of portrait and vignette digital engravings.

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Hervé Guillerey
Head of Banknote Innovation and Design Services

Avenue du Grey 55
1018 Lausanne
Switzerland

T: +41 21 345 70 00
E-Mail

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