New currency; Select currency note designs by female designers
State Bank of Pakistan has selected some of the new note designs from Rs 10 to Rs 5 thousand for further consideration. Interestingly, most of the selected currency notes are designed by female artists.
State Bank sources said that in the initial stage, 2 designs of currency notes of Rs 10, Rs 500 and Rs 5 thousand have been shortlisted, out of which one will be selected for printing after further consideration. The newly designed currency notes featuring portraits of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Ms. Fatima Jinnah, will be printed as per international standards and issued by December.
Design Public was asked by State Bank to print new currency notes. Among the dozens of designs sent by the artists, the designs made by women artists were found to be the best.
According to the results of the competition, 5 bank notes that came first were designed by women, while 6 of the 10 winning bank notes were created by women artists.
10, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 banknotes were designed by women while the 20 and 50 notes were designed by a male artist.
The runner-up Rs 500 note was also designed by a female artist, while the runner-up designs of Rs 10 and Rs 5000 were created by male artists.
The winning designs in the art competition are decorated with symbols related to Pakistan, which were selected after careful evaluation by a committee of experts. Pakistan’s cultural heritage and progressive thinking are central to these designs.
State Bank sources said that the designs of currency notes selected so far will now be sent to foreign experts in currency design who will help the State Bank in designing the new series. These experts will use the designs sent by the State Bank for guidance but will be free to design the banknotes.
During the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance on August 21, Governor State Bank had said that the design of all currency notes will be changed by December. After that these notes will be issued with formal approval. The new currency notes are increasingly having complex security features. State Bank Governor said that we will test the plastic currency, if it gets public acceptance we will issue it.
According to the announcement of the winners of the competition by the State Bank of Pakistan, the first prize for the design of Rs 10 banknote was awarded to Dr. Sherry Abidi, while Mirza Sufyan got the second position. Other winners include Haroon Khan for the Rs 20 note and Maimona Afzal for the Rs 100 and Rs 5,000 notes, who bagged the first prize in both categories.
10, 20, 100, 500 and 5000 notes have the image of Quaid-e-Azam, the 1000 note has Liaquat Ali Khan and his punch mark. There is a chain of hands on the reverse side of the same note. The following designs were selected as a result of careful review by a committee consisting of experts. Dr. Sherry Abdi, the artist and designer of the ten rupee note won, the second prize of the ten rupee note was won by the artist and designer Mirza Sufyan. The prize of Rs 20 note was won by artist, designer Mirza Haroon. The prize of Rs 100 and Rs 5000 notes was won by artist, designer Maimoona Afzal. The first prize of Rs 500 note was won by artist, designer Hadiya Hassan. The prize of Rs 1000 note was won by artist, designer Noreen Aslam. The prize of Rs 5000 note was won by artist, designer Karim Muhammad.
