A country’s banknotes are handled almost every day by the population of the country and are often the first local item a visitor will see on arrival. Thus the appearance of a banknote, its quality and design features, will likely leave a good, or not so good, impression of that country.

Most issuers of banknotes, mainly central banks, are aware of the importance of banknote design, but they are conservative institutions and all have their own views on what should appear on their banknotes