Tag: banknotes

Designing the Euro banknotes

Today, more than nine years after €-Day, when the fiduciary euro was put into circulation, the design of euro banknotes has been is only of secondary importance. But deciding what the new banknotes should look like was actually a very long drawn-out process.

Monday May 2nd, 2011 – 02:37 PM | Posted in Object of the month | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

Counterfeiting through the ages

Counterfeiting is a perennial fact of life. Even in the days before coins came into use, people were faking the current means of payment; and shortly after the first coins were produced in the seventh century BC, the first forgeries also turned up.

Tuesday June 1st, 2010 – 01:59 PM | Posted in Object of the month | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

Margaret of Austria, a woman who managed to play a political role

Only one female personality was selected to appear on a banknote: Margaret of Austria was depicted on the back of the 500 franc note featuring Bernard (or Barend) Van Orley. She was therefore carefully chosen.

Thursday May 6th, 2010 – 11:01 AM | Posted in Object of the month | Also tagged | Comments (1)

Paper

Different raw materials such as the bark of lime or mulberry trees, bamboo, flax and rags were used to produce the first Chinese paper. In Europe, paper was mostly made of flax and hemp (rag paper).

Thursday April 1st, 2010 – 12:08 PM | Posted in Object of the month | Also tagged | Comments (1)

Everybody a billionaire?!

The Museum of the National Bank of Belgium has several inflationary notes on display. The most remarkable ones are the 500 billion dinar note of former Yugoslavia and that of 1 million trillion Hungarian pengö (or 1 followed by 18 noughts!).

Monday February 1st, 2010 – 09:53 AM | Posted in Object of the month | Also tagged | Comments Off

Theresienstadt: notes as a disguise of sheer misery

By the end of the Second World War the Allied Forces gradually liberated all concentration camps. Joy and gratitude coincided with a growing awareness of the havoc and devastation caused by the war. Amongst others: the genocide of the Jewish people.

Wednesday June 3rd, 2009 – 08:49 AM | Posted in Object of the month | Also tagged , | Comments Off

Museum Spring Day, 17 May 2009

The Museum of the National Bank of Belgium takes part in the 2009 edition of “Printemps des Musées”, the yearly museum day in the Walloon provinces and in Brussels. The theme of this year: “Colours!”

Thursday May 7th, 2009 – 02:35 PM | Posted in News | Also tagged | Comments Off

Magritte for a mere 500 francs

The 500 francs Magritte type, issued 16th April 1998, was the last new note of a series that started some 147 years ago. 1998 was also the first centenary of Magritte’s birthday. To commemorate this Belgian surrealist artist the Brussels Museum of Fine Arts organised an exhibition with no less than 335 pieces out of his vast body of work.

Friday February 6th, 2009 – 02:56 PM | Posted in Object of the month | Also tagged , , , , | Comments Off

The oldest Belgian paper money (1837-1850)

In 1830 Belgium was the most industrialised country on the continent. In the period 1830-1848 a very small number of banks financed the Belgian industrial revolution. Each of them had the right to issue paper money.

Friday October 10th, 2008 – 10:36 AM | Posted in Object of the month | Also tagged , , | Comments Off

1851: The first-born notes of the National Bank

Nowadays, the National Bank of Belgium is the only financial institution authorized to print banknotes in Belgium. However, this has not always been the case. During the first half of the 19th century several banks put their own notes in circulation. The Bank which was founded by law of 5 May 1850 issued its first series in 1851.

Sunday August 10th, 2008 – 02:51 PM | Posted in Object of the month | Also tagged , | Comments Off