Imagine CurrencyThe money used in a particular country at a particular time, like dollar, yen, euro, etc., consisting of banknotes and coins, that does not require endorsement as a medium of exchange. More — a charitable initiative led by the think tank CashEssentials, supported by the International Banknote Designers Association (IBDA) to use the medium of design to visualise a better future — will be exhibiting the results of its latest design competition at The Future of CashMoney in physical form such as banknotes and coins. More conference in Madrid (14-16 September) and through the online auction site Catawiki, which will run from 14-23 September.

Cash is not only a functional paymentA transfer of funds which discharges an obligation on the part of a payer vis-à-vis a payee. More tool or a store of valueOne of the functions of money or more generally of any asset that can be saved and exchanged at a later time without loss of its purchasing power. See also Precautionary Holdings. More. It represents a lot more to a diverse range of people. The cultural symbolism of cash in society is as diverse and profound as its range of uses. Banknotes and cash in general facilitate life. The highly evocative and stunning imagery present on a banknoteA banknote (or ‘bill’ as it is often referred to in the US) is a type of negotiable promissory note, issued by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand. More landscape can be associated with our emotions, our successes, our failures, our history, our today and our future. It is simply an intrinsic and deeply engrained part of our humanity. — Guillaume Lepecq, Chairman  of CashEssentials.

Imagine Currency is a platform for these stories to be told. Reports of the precious moments, big and small, that cash and only cash brings to individuals and societies but to which a simple metric cannot be applied. Imagine Currency represents a series of visual narratives from around the globe by people who have never met but are connected by a common desire to tell their stories of the past, present and future via the medium of banknotes.

A charitable initiative

Imagine Currency is a charitable initiative involving auctioning 40 concept banknote designs from a broad spectrum of people, reflecting an immense cultural landscape. They include submissions from artists and photographers, as well as several banknote concepts created through HUMANIA, launched in December 2020 by the IBDA and CashEssentials to support human recovery and development post-Covid-19, in which designers were invited to capture a moment from the pandemic and depict it in banknotes or coins.

One exclusive, large format print (500mm x 702mm) of each banknote design will be sold during the Imagine Currency auction. The design will be printed on an authentic banknote polymerA substrate used in the printing of banknotes, made of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) polymer. Polymer banknotes were first introduced in Australia and are widely used around the world. More substrateThe physical media or support on which the image is printed, such as paper, polymer or hybrid, etc. More and accompanied by a high-security certificate of authenticityThe condition that a security element of a banknote or security document is genuine. More.

100% of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Go Give One campaign run by the WHO Foundation to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for the most vulnerable and under-vaccinated countries. As of June 2022 only 58 of WHO’s 194 Member States had reached a 70% vaccination coverage. In low-income countries, just 37% of healthcare workers had received a complete course of primary vaccination.  

Imagine Currency will clearly demonstrate that while there are no metrics to measure something that resists measurement, there is probably a good reason… the value banknotes bring to each and every one of us is simply immeasurable and unquantifiable yet clear and present. — Guillaume Lepecq, Chairman  of CashEssentials.

By participating in the Imagine Currency charity auction, we invite you to explore and discover the genuine value banknotes bring to society and become an owner of an exclusive pieceIn plural, it is commonly used as synonym for units of banknotes and coins. More of banknote art that represents something special for you.

The auction will be open from 14 to 23 September.

Click here to participate

Special thanks

CashEssentials and the IBDA would like to acknowledge the contributions and support made by the following organisations to the Imagine Currency Initiative:

Designs

• CCL Secure (Carlos Almenar)
• SICPA (Sebastien Freuler)
• Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions (Michelle Bonzon-Vuilleumier, Jerome Badan, Phillipe Mermoud, Giovanni Galuffo)
• Choudari Redouane

Supporting Organisations

• ATMIA
• BnEI
• Currency News
• IACA
• ICA
• International Security Ligue
• JURA
• KURZ
• Orell Füssli Security Printing Limited
• National ATM Council
• SURYS
• CCL Secure
  LANDQART
• Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions
• SICPA
• HP INDIGO
• Wipplay
• Catawiki

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