The security features of the new 20-notli

15 Safety features: 1 Globe test 2 Stripe test 3 Cross test 4 Triangle test 5 Hand test 6 Microperf 7 Touch mark for visually impaired 8 Watermark 9 Tilt effect

10 See-through register 11 Serial number 12 Microtext 13 UV globe 14 UV melting fibers 15 Infrared absorbing elements (14 and 15 are not visible)

The counterfeiters do not sleep

Today's banknotes are over 20 years old. Technological progress has been tremendous during this time; the Swiss National Bank (SNB) talks of a quantum leap. And since the counterfeiting workshops are not dozing either, this is reason enough for a new issue if the high security standard of the haptic means of payment is to be maintained.

Fritz Zurbrügg, Vice-President of the SNB, explained at the media conference in Zurich on May 10 that in national and international circles, the new note is considered to be of high quality and security. The new 50-franc note has been in circulation for just over a year, and initial experience has shown that it is generally more stable and has better tear resistance than its predecessor. According to the SNB, initial findings have also been made in terms of security: So far, there have only been a few simple counterfeiting attempts, which were immediately discovered.

Safety test - 5 important points

At the new staff series the security features are always the same. On the front and back, they are incorporated into the three-layer banknote substrate (Durasafe) using different technologies. What sets the new banknote apart is the combination of complex security features and sophisticated design, Zurbrügg said. This makes the notes difficult to counterfeit, he said. The new 20-note note has a total of 15 security features on the front and back (see illustration).

How can the layman easily check the authenticity of the new banknote? The SNB explains the five most important security features as follows:

• "Globe test": If you tilt the note from left to right, a violet-colored arc moves across the globe on the front. If you hold the note in front of you and tilt it back, the color of the globe changes.
•  "Stripe test": The aim is to take a closer look at the security stripe on the front. If you tilt the note from left to right, red and green digits appear on four lines. The digits on the lines move in opposite directions. If you hold the note in front of you, you will see the map of Switzerland in silver, light emissions at night in the form of circles, a list of the distances of various celestial bodies to the earth in light seconds, and the number 20. If you tilt the note backwards, the outlines of Switzerland appear and above them the light emissions at night in rainbow colors. In addition, small Swiss crosses light up in the number 20.
• "Cross test": It is particularly simple. If you hold the note up to the light and look at the transparent Swiss cross, it becomes the Swiss flag.
• "Triangle test": To do this, you need to look at the back of the note. There, below the number 20, is a triangle. A glittering security thread is visible inside it. If you hold the note up to the light, you can see this thread throughout. The Swiss flag and the number 20 can also be seen at regular intervals.
• "Hand test": If you feel the hand depicted, the number 20 or the name of the National Bank, you can feel the copper print. If you rub the elements mentioned on a light-colored paper, they leave traces of color.

rs/pd