IBNS Mosaic Chapter, a regional branch of the International Bank Note Society uniting collectors from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and Africa, is hosting the Best African Circulating Banknote 2026 competition. The project aims to draw attention to the artistic and technical craftsmanship behind banknotes in daily circulation across the African continent, as well as to foster a culture of appreciation for paper money design among a wide audience of collectors and enthusiasts.

Competition Format

The voting process consists of two stages.

Round 1 ran from June 15 to July 14, 2026, and is now officially concluded. At this stage, 42 nominated banknotes issued by central banks of various African countries—from Algeria to Zimbabwe—were presented for consideration. Based on the public vote, the top 16 banknotes advanced to the final phase of the competition.

The finalists include banknotes from the following countries:

  • Angola

  • Botswana

  • Cape Verde

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • Ethiopia

  • Gambia

  • Ghana

  • Guinea

  • Rwanda

  • São Tomé and Príncipe

  • Seychelles

  • Sierra Leone

  • South Africa

  • Tanzania

  • Uganda

  • Zambia

Round 2 is the final stage, which is currently ongoing. Participants select three banknotes from the 16 finalists that they believe are most deserving of the title. Points are awarded to each selected banknote according to its ranked position:

  • 1st place — 3 points;

  • 2nd place — 2 points;

  • 3rd place — 1 point.

Each registered participant can vote only once.

Role of the Expert Panel

In addition to the public vote, the results of the second round are shaped by the evaluation of an independent Expert Panel, composed of numismatic experts from around the world—including the USA, Spain, Kenya, Lebanon, Sweden, Canada, Ukraine, and others.

Each finalist banknote is evaluated by experts according to several criteria:

  • Design excellence;

  • Cultural significance;

  • Technical execution and security features;

  • Innovation;

  • Printing quality.

The points from the Expert Panel are combined with the results of the public vote, determining the final winner based on both public popularity and artistic/technical merit as judged by professionals.

Summary

The Best African Circulating Banknote 2026 project combines the voice of the broader collector community with the judgment of a professional jury. This makes the competition results insightful not only in terms of a banknote's popularity, but also regarding its true artistic and technological quality. By organizing this, the IBNS Mosaic Chapter continues its series of projects (including the Best Commemorative Banknote competition and the Banknote of the Year catalog) aimed at promoting non-academic numismatics and studying modern paper currency design.

You can vote for your favorite finalist banknote at the following link: https://ibns-mosaic.zite.so/