ASTANA, Jan 07/Astana Times/ – The National Bank of Kazakhstan has embarked on a multi-year project to redesign the tenge. In 2024, the tenge earned top honors at prestigious international currency competitions for its innovative Saka Style tenge series. This series features groundbreaking protective elements and designs that celebrate the nation’s heritage.
According to the National Bank, the Saka Style banknotes are the first in the world to incorporate micro-optical, two-color security threads with a pulsating dynamic effect that animates the national pattern when tilted. The protective patches on the notes showcase 3D images of Saka-era artifacts, blending modern technology with historical symbolism.
These innovative features enhance security while visually narrating Kazakhstan’s history, nature, and cultural wealth. The 10,000-tenge banknote from the Saka Style series won Best New Banknote of 2024 at the High-Security Printing competition. This prestigious award honors artistic, symbolic, and technological achievements in banknote design at global conferences.
The award highlights the advanced security features and the intricate representation of national identity and functionality. Additionally, Kazakhstan’s 10,000-tenge commemorative banknote and the TEŃGEGE 30 JYL (30 years of tenge) commemorative coin were finalists in the International Association for Monetary Affairs’ (IACA) Excellence in Currency Awards for the Best Commemorative Banknote and Coin, respectively. The concepts for these banknotes and coins were created by the designers of the National Bank.
