To celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of its proclamation of independence (15 September 1821), Guatemala will soon issue a commemorative 20 quetzales banknote. It is the first commemorative note to be issued in the history of Banco de Guatemala. 25 million of the limited-edition note will be issued.
This is also the first vertically designed banknote in Guatemala’s history. In the design, the primary motifs of the current 20 GTQ banknote have been reworked to reflect modern-day Guatemala. The images include a portrait of Doctor Mariano Gálvez on the front and the allegory of the signing of the independence on the reverse.
Special security features are integrated with the design. They include:
- SICPA SPARK® Live and ‘Galaxy Flip’ security threads, both in magenta to green and both with a dynamic circle, that are visible when the banknote is tilted.
- When the note is tilted vertically, the Galaxy security thread changes from the Arabic number 20 to a quill.
- Various UV elements highlight and reveal new aspects of the banknote. For example, the front side emphasizes the historic building “Real Palacio de la Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción” with the Guatemalan flag at the top, complemented by a quill (normally hidden) next to it.
- The watermark is an upgraded, high-definition version of the portrait of Mariano Galvez with electrotypes of the Arabic and Mayan number “2.0”
- On the reverse side of the banknote, a fluorescent ‘Quetzal’ – the country’s national symbol and name of the currency – appears next to a blue Guatemalan flag which shows the years of the bicentennial in bright red fluorescence.
Sources:
Banco de Guatemala
Banknote Industry News
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