Summary
Beauty is subjective, but one body has judged it every year since 2004: the International Bank Note Society (IBNS) – its members vote for a Banknote of the Year, considering artistic merit, design, use of colour, contrast, balance and security features; the 2025 winner was the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten’s 200-gulden note. The IBNS focuses on the most beautiful banknotes globally.
New Zealand, Canada, Switzerland and the Philippines are among the winners – New Zealand’s $5 note won in 2015, Switzerland won in 2016 and 2017, Canada’s $10 note won in 2018 and the Philippines’ 1,000-peso polymer note won in 2022
The 2026 nominations include notes from Bhutan and Nepal – the IBNS has listed nominees including Bhutan’s 500-ngultrum note and Nepal’s 1,000-rupee note, with the winner due to be announced in early 2027
How “most beautiful” is decided
There is no single objective answer, so this guide uses the IBNS Banknote of the Year, the best-known award for banknote design.
- Eligibility. A nominated note must have been issued to the public for the first time during the year of the award, must be in general circulation, and must have artistic merit and/or innovative security features. Specimens and non-circulating currencies are not eligible.
- The vote. IBNS members vote, and the criteria are artistic merit, design, use of colour, contrast, balance and security features.
- The field. In 2025, almost 100 new banknotes were released worldwide, and only 17 were considered new enough in design to be nominated.
The winners, 2015 to 2025
| Year | Country | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | New Zealand | $5 |
| 2016 | Switzerland | 50 franc |
| 2017 | Switzerland | 10 franc |
| 2018 | Canada | $10 |
| 2019 | Aruba | 100 florin |
| 2020 | Mexico | 100 pesos |
| 2021 | Mexico | 50 pesos |
| 2022 | Philippines | 1,000 pesos |
| 2023 | Eastern Caribbean Central Bank | $2 (40th anniversary commemorative) |
| 2024 | Bermuda | $5 |
| 2025 | Curaçao and Sint Maarten | 200 gulden |
Earlier winners include Canada’s $20 (2004), Samoa’s 20-tala note (2008), Bermuda’s $2 (2009) and Bank of Scotland’s £50 (2007). Kazakhstan won three years in a row, from 2011 to 2013.
Trends the IBNS has noted: Polymer notes have become perennial winners, and vertical orientation is favoured, with eight of the ten winners before 2025 printed vertically. The 2025 winner is an exception on both counts: it is printed on paper, with a horizontal front and a vertical back.
Six winners worth a closer look
New Zealand’s $5 note (2015)
New Zealand’s winning note is a polymer $5 in brown and orange. The front shows Sir Edmund Hillary and Aoraki/Mount Cook, with a clear window in the shape of a penguin. The back shows a yellow-eyed penguin (hoiho), a daisy (Pleurophyllum speciosum) flower and ferns. It was introduced on 12 October 2015.
Switzerland’s 50 and 10 franc notes (2016 and 2017)
Switzerland won back to back with two notes from its ninth series. Rather than portraits, each note celebrates a Swiss theme. The 50-franc note is themed on wind and shows a dandelion dispersing its seeds, and the 10-franc note is themed on time, with a globe and clockwork gears. Both are vertical.
Canada’s $10 note (2018)
Canada’s vertical, purple $10 note shows Viola Desmond, who challenged racial segregation at a cinema in 1946, alongside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It was the first Bank of Canada note in a vertical orientation and the first to show a Canadian-born woman on a regularly circulating note. The Bank of Canada unveiled the second vertical note, a $20 with King Charles III, on 3 September 2026, due in circulation early in 2027.
The Philippines’ 1,000-peso note (2022)
Image souce: https://www.theibns.org/
The first polymer note from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas features the Philippine eagle, with a clear window showing the sampaguita, the national flower. It also won the Best New Banknote award at the High Security Printing Asia conference in 2023, and the full polymer series won Best New Banknote or Banknote Series at the International Association of Currency Affairs in 2025.
Bermuda’s $2 and $5 notes (2009 and 2024)
Bermuda is a two-time winner, with its $2 note in 2009 and its $5 note in 2024, which the IBNS said it selected for the second time.
Curaçao and Sint Maarten’s 200 gulden (2025)
Image source: https://banknotenews.com/
The 2025 winner is part of a five-note series inspired by the “World Under the Sea”. Each note’s front is horizontal and features marine life native to the islands, and the back is vertical with historical and cultural landmarks. The 200 gulden is the largest denomination, predominantly purple, with long-snout seahorses and a giant tun shell, and the Queen Emma Bridge on the back. The IBNS said it was the overwhelming favourite from the start of voting.
Contenders for 2026
The IBNS has published its nominations for the 2026 award, and the list includes notes from communities in OrbitRemit’s corridors:
| Country | Nominated note |
|---|---|
| Bhutan | 500 ngultrum |
| Nepal | 1,000 rupees |
| China | 20 yuan |
| Brunei Darussalam | $100 |
| Oman | 1 rial |
| Solomon Islands | $50 |
| Ukraine | 2,000 hryvnia |
| Zimbabwe | 50 ZiG |
| Others | Cuba, Honduras, Paraguay, Saint Helena and Turkmenistan |
The nominations are the IBNS’s list at the time of writing, and the winner will be announced in early 2027.
FAQs (frequently asked questions)
What is the most beautiful banknote in the world?
There is no single objective answer. The IBNS Banknote of the Year is the best-known award for design, and its 2025 winner is the Curaçao and Sint Maarten 200-gulden note.
Who decides the IBNS Banknote of the Year?
IBNS members vote. They consider artistic merit, design, use of colour, contrast, balance and security features.
Has a New Zealand note won?
Yes. New Zealand’s $5 note, featuring Sir Edmund Hillary and the hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin), won in 2015.
Which countries have won more than once?
Kazakhstan (2011, 2012 and 2013), Switzerland (2016 and 2017), Canada (2004 and 2018), Mexico (2020 and 2021) and Bermuda (2009 and 2024).
Why are so many winners vertical?
Many designers favour the vertical format for artistic reasons, and the IBNS noted that eight of the ten winners before 2025 were vertical.
When will the 2026 winner be announced?
In early 2027, after the IBNS members vote.
Important information
This article is general information. Beauty is subjective, and the IBNS award reflects the votes of its members. Nominations, designs and legal tender status can change, so check with the relevant central bank. OrbitRemit is an international money transfer service and does not buy, sell or value banknotes.
Related guides
- Currencies in Asia: a complete guide
- European currencies: a complete guide
- How international money transfers work
If you need to send money to family overseas, OrbitRemit sends money from Australia and New Zealand to over 50 countries. Check current rates at orbitremit.com.
Last updated 12 November 2026.
Sources: International Bank Note Society, Banknote of the Year winners, rules and 2025 and 2026 nominations (theibns.org), including its 2015 New Zealand $5 entry and press releases for 2021 to 2025 | Bank of Canada, Unveiling of vertical $20 bank note (3 September 2026) | Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, First Philippine Polymer Banknote Series, via Wikipedia | Currency Exchange International and Remitly, beautiful banknote guides
