The National Bank of Macedonia unveiled (24th April) the two denominations which will be issued as polymer banknotes starting today. The national bank has announced that the 10-denar (U.S. $0.20) and 50-denar (U.S. $0.99) values, which are the two smallest banknote values, will be printed on the plastic substrate — and with this change — new and updated security features will also be incorporated into the new notes.
According to the national bank, the new banknotes will contain security threads specially designed for polymer banknotes, micro text which is visible with a magnifying glass, a double registration mark, a latent image, and a UV feature. Also incorporated into the new versions of the polymer banknotes is a transparent window containing all the recognisable elements from their original design. Both banknotes will retain their original designs, colour schemes, and dimensions originally introduced in 1996 as paper issues.
The design of the 10-denar note includes the depiction of the torso of the Egyptian Goddess Isida, revered as the mother of all nature and created from alabaster.
The back depicts a stylised drawing of a peacock. The detail is from an original mosaic found on the floor of the baptisteries of the Episcopal Basilica, in the ancient city of Stobi, from the fifth to the sixth century A.D.
The design of the 50-denar banknote includes an engraving of an early Byzantine coin which was part of the monetary reform in 498 A.D. undertaken by Emperor Anastasius and in an effort to eliminate inflation and monetary chaos in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. The new copper folis coin weighed precisely 9.10 grams and made up 72 parts of one copper pound. The folis with the letter “M” were valued at 50 numies, while those with the letter “K” equaled 20 numies, and those coins bearing the letter “I” represented a value of 10 numies.
The back depicts a fine painting from the scene of the Annunciation and portrays the Archangel Gabriel. The fresco is found on the east wall of the church of St.Ghiorghi in Kurbinovo, which dates from the year 1191 and is located on the Lake Prespa. The frescoes were painted by the outstanding artist, Pictor I.
| Denom. | Dimensions | Dominant Colours |
| 10 denars | 70 x 140 mm | Dark blue, yellow, and pink. |
| 50 denars | 73 x 140 mm | Dark blue, purple, and yellow. |
A new addition to the two polymer banknotes is a tactile feature which will aid the identification of the notes for visually impaired persons. The National Bank of Macedonia has underlined that the old similar banknotes will cease to be issued from the same day that the new polymer notes enter into circulation. The paper versions will be gradually replaced with the new plastic denars as the notes are processed through financial institutions. The two denominations will also circulate with their coin equivalents, which were originally introduced in 2008
Source: coinupdate
