Image: Dutch Guilders
Over the last several decades, the world’s currency has become decidedly more colourful. There are several reasons for this evolution. Topping the list is the creation of a visual hierarchy for a country’s range of legal tenders. Colour provides for quick readability and ease of use. Swiss designer Roger Pfund, a bank note and passport specialist, points out, “Banknotes must be easy to distinguish.” Contemporary currency design is extraordinarily expressive, using appealing colours, unconventional compositions and a wide range of accessible imagery. Creating unique currency also helps a country better portray its national identity and sense of spirit. Most importantly, inventive use of colour, complex designs, durable materials and state-of-the-art production techniques (braille, holograms and embedded fibres) decrease incidents of counterfeiting.
Countries like Canada are constantly introducing new designs to their bank note inventory, enabling them to honour notable individuals, events and national treasures. On one side of Canada’s $10 bill, featuring civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond, a rainbow effect occurs in a light-diffracting image (technically known as a kinegram) of the vaulted ceiling from Ottawa’s Library of Parliament. On the reverse side, an eagle feather hologram transitions from green to gold. In 2018, the Desmond bill won the coveted Bank Note of the Year Award from the International Bank Note Society (IBNS), beating out designs from Switzerland, Norway and Russia. IBNS considers the artistic merit, design, use of colour, contrast, balance and security features of each nominated bank note. Colour plays a significant role in making this and other bank notes more attractive while aiding in the prevention of illegal forgeries.