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Image of Black '6000°C' Banknotes with Ignis / Ex Nihilo

Ignis / Ex Nihilo – The World’s First Black Banknote

KURZ is proud to be a partner of the German Bundesdruckerei-Gruppe in their groundbreaking and unusual concept note initiative “Ex Nihilo”. The first house note of this series, “Ignis”, constitutes the world’s first black banknote. It was awarded the prestigious IACA Excellence in Currency Award 2024 at the Banknote Conference in May 2024.

Developed in response to the evolving landscape of digital money, the “Ex Nihilo” project (“out of nothing” in Latin) aims at comprehensively addressing technological advancements, sustainability, security, and highly innovative design. This is reflected in the collaborative approach together with other partners in the SIRALab Initiative, where the abbreviation SIRA stands for sustainability, innovation, recycling and action. The resulting banknotes are exceptionally forgery-proof thanks to their deep black color. This color also allows for the notes to be produced from old and recycled banknotes, which makes them highly sustainable. A secure encrypted chip in the substrate, protected by the novel KINEGRAM® APL solution from KURZ, enables the notes to be used as a supplement to central bank digital currency (CBDC). In addition, the banknote is also secured with a KINEGRAM®(XXX) foil strip in the shape of a blazing flame.

For more information:

Bridge to the Digital World: Bundesdruckerei Wins Industry Award for Concept for the Banknote of the Future

Ignis – The First Note of the Ex Nihilo-Series - International Association of Currency Affairs