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SECURITY FEATURES OF THE BELIZE BANKNOTES
The Central Bank of Belize is committed to the continuous enhancement of the security of your notes. This upgraded issue contains features that make it easy to check the authenticity of the note, hence making them more secure against counterfeiting. The two group sizes and Applied Metallic feature will allow the visually impaired to distinguish between the higher and lower denominations and between the $100 and $50 denominations.
The principal security features of the banknotes are:
- Watermark
- Windowed security thread
- See-through feature
- Novel numbering
- Intaglio
- Intaglio over-foil feature
- Multi-redundant Hologram
- Actual Size:
- $100 and $50 is 150mm x 75mm
- $20 and $10 is 140mm x 70mm
DETAILS OF SECURITY FEATURES
| Windowed Security Thread |
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This thread comes to the surface at regular intervals so that its metallic sheen may be seen, the complete thread is only visible when viewed against the light.
When viewed against the light, text can also be read in the thread of the $20, $50 and $100 banknotes. Thread in a genuine banknote will read “Belize” followed by the denomination of the banknote.
The process also produces a distinctive watermark made up of a series of bars on both side of the thread.These characteristics are not readily reproduced on counterfeits produced by photocopiers and electronic scanners.
| Watermark |
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The cylinder-mould paper-making process is capable of producing a watermark exhibiting three levels of tone: areas darker, lighter and of similar tone to the base paper.
The security in this type of watermark lies in the fact that the watermark is formed as the paper is manufactured providing built-in security.
The watermark image on the $100 and $50 banknotes is the “Jaguar” while the “Sleeping Giant” appears on the $20 and $10 banknotes.
Intaglio
The intaglio printing process is particular to the security printer. It gives a banknote its characteristic ‘feel’ by depositing on the paper a layer of ink of variable thickness while simultaneously embossing the paper surface.
Counterfeit documents printed using commercial printing methods will lack the tactility fine detail and tonality of the intaglio original.
| See-through feature |
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This feature consists of specific design elements printed in precise register on both sides of the note. When the document is held up to the light, the parts of the design printed on the back will fit exactly within the unprinted areas on the front to produce the complete design.
The see-through features - a different motif for each denomination - are all located near to the watermark (above the large value numeral) so these two features can easily be checked together when viewed against the light.
| Novel Numbering |
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Novel numbering boxes have progressively larger digits in adjacent positions.
Printed in black on the right hand side of the front of the note, they serve to multiply the number of stages that the counterfeiter has to employ in order to produce a deceptive counterfeit, thereby introducing greater probabilities of detectable errors.
| Printed Metallic Feature |
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This feature in the lower left hand corner of the front of the $100 and $50 banknotes - in coloured metallic ink on the $100 banknote and in silver on the $50 banknote. It shows the value numeral or the initials "CBB" when the banknote is viewed from different angles.
| Applied Metallic Features |
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The $100 and $50 banknotes have features applied to the banknote to increase their security.
The $100 banknote has a hologram in the shape of a toucan. A hologram is a flat optical image which looks 3 dimensional when viewed with the naked eye. It carries many small images of the toucan and the numeral 100 within it which can be seen in many colours when viewed at different angles. The hologram makes deceptive reproductions difficult to generate.
The $50 banknote has a highly reflective metallic foil in the shape of an angel fish with the Jade Head overprinted onto it in intaglio. The foil will reproduce as matt black if colour-copied while the presence of intaglio print on top of the foil deters the would-be counterfeiter from simulating the foil area separately.
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