UGANDA: New Banknote Series Out

UGANDA: New Banknote Series Out

A new series of redesigned Ugandan banknotes went into circulation on May 17, 2010. The design of 1000, 5000-, 10000-, and 50000-shilling banknotes was altered, as well as a new denomination of 2000 shillings was added to the series.

The new banknotes of smaller sizes were issued with improved security features.The common security features for the 1000-, 2000-, and 5000-shilling notes include a watermark, an optically variable image, and a raised feature on the surface to help the visually impaired differentiate denominations.

The notes also feature a windowed thread that shifts from red to green when the note is titled, and a hidden iridescent image. Uganda also became the first country in Africa to introduce the modern SPARK^® security feature.

The design of the banknote series has a national look, and according to a representative of the issuing bank, has no political motifs. The new banknotes show ornaments and ceramics common in Uganda. According to Bank of Uganda Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, modernizing the national currency carried out by De La Rue developers was driven by the purposes of ounterfeit deterrence.