Bermuda Wins Big

The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) has selected the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) $5 note as the recipient of the 2024 Bank Note of the Year award. Out of the almost 100 bank notes released this year, 21 were nominated, and the Bermuda $5 was a clear favorite. BMA last won the Bank Note of the Year award in 2009.

De La Rue printed the polymer note, and the pink $5 features a blue marlin, dolphins, a tuna fish, and flowers, as well as King Charles III’s portrait. The design on the back includes butterflies, flowers, Horseshoe Bay, and a boat sailing beneath the Somerset Bridge. The vertically designed note is part of BMA’s “Same look, Smarter design” campaign, which emphasizes the durability and reliability of Bermuda’s paper currency. The note also has several advanced security features. These include elements only visible under ultraviolet (UV) light, fully and partially transparent half windows, dynamic features, and tactile markings.

The first runner-up was Japan’s 1,000-yen note, which features bacteriologist Kitasato Shibasaburo and the iconic print The Great Wave of Kanagawa. The second runner-up, China’s 20-yuan note, depicts dragons and children. The two other top notes were the Philippines’ 500-piso note and England’s 50-pound note.