Short answer to your question is "cost". In general, it would cost the bank between 5 to 10 cents to print a note. The more you ordered, the cheaper the price will be. Take the current RM50 2008 prints for example. That would have cost the bank approx. $2.50M to print from AA to AE prefixes, assuming total notes printed were 50.0M pieces. In addition to this, there are also other associated costs related to launching of newly designed of notes, such as advertising/promotional materials, manpower etc. Printing new notes sometimes can also be very confusing to the public too. For example, in 1994, Australia re-coloured the polymer $5 note, and because of that, the central banks received many calls from the public, thinking that they had a fake dollar note in their hand. Most banknotes design lasted, on average, say between 10 to 15 years (like Singapore etc), and if any new notes printed prior to that could only due to high percentage of fake notes discovered circulating in the market. Unless the guy who is in charge of currency operation is also a collector LOL!. Of course, when new notes are printed, so does new or additional security features are added to the note to discourage counterfeiting too.
Hi paperbanknotes, We've a B$1 dated 1996 and saw you listing similar banknotes with later dates. Thanks a lot for the clear explanation, paperbanknotes :)
Wonder why they don't change the design since 1996?
ReplyDeleteHi WhyCollect,
ReplyDeleteShort answer to your question is "cost". In general, it would cost the bank between 5 to 10 cents to print a note. The more you ordered, the cheaper the price will be. Take the current RM50 2008 prints for example. That would have cost the bank approx. $2.50M to print from AA to AE prefixes, assuming total notes printed were 50.0M pieces. In addition to this, there are also other associated costs related to launching of newly designed of notes, such as advertising/promotional materials, manpower etc. Printing new notes sometimes can also be very confusing to the public too. For example, in 1994, Australia re-coloured the polymer $5 note, and because of that, the central banks received many calls from the public, thinking that they had a fake dollar note in their hand. Most banknotes design lasted, on average, say between 10 to 15 years (like Singapore etc), and if any new notes printed prior to that could only due to high percentage of fake notes discovered circulating in the market. Unless the guy who is in charge of currency operation is also a collector LOL!. Of course, when new notes are printed, so does new or additional security features are added to the note to discourage counterfeiting too.
Hi paperbanknotes,
ReplyDeleteWe've a B$1 dated 1996 and saw you listing similar banknotes with later dates.
Thanks a lot for the clear explanation, paperbanknotes :)