On 15th February, the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) released a new five-dinar polymer banknote, timed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the February 17th Revolution in 2011, which saw the end of the Gadhafi regime.
Design
The new banknote is printed on polymer instead of paper. It retains the design, colour, and many specifications from the previous five-dinar banknotes introduced in 2015 but with some changes. Measuring 136 by 68 millimetres, the note is brown/grey with a corresponding underprint. The face side depicts an image of the Clock Tower, one of the most recognizable landmarks in Tripoli. The back side includes an illustration of the Temple of Zeus.
(source Banknote news)
Security features
The new banknotes are designed to help reduce forgeries, thanks to features such as security tags and the use of four colours. Other security features include the following:
· A transparent window replaces the traditional watermark field and incorporates an image of resistance leader Omar Mukhtar.
· Located around the transparent window is a tactile element, a series of square shapes with raised outlines, to help blind people identify the banknote.
· Applied to the polymer, a security thread that includes see-through micro-text is located to the right side of the Clock Tower (on the face side).
· The latent image numeral “5” is applied to the geometric shape next to the lower-left corner and to the right of the numeral. When the note is tilted under a light, the number is visible (on the face side).
(source Banknote news)
The new banknote is part of the CBL’s plan to gradually develop a new local currency, and the shift from printing banknotes from regular linen paper to printing on polymer paper. The 5-dinar banknote follows the issue of the new one-dinar denomination that entered circulation two years ago. The CBL plans to similarly replace the ten, twenty and fifty dinar banknotes in the future.
Sources:
Coin Update
Libya Herald
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