Banco de la República Starts Circulating the 2 Thousand-Peso Banknote

On 29 November 2016 Banco de la República started circulating the new $2 thousand-peso banknote, the fifth of the new family of banknotes

The artist Débora Arango, Caño Cristales (the “river of five colors”), the leaves and the fruit of the milk tree, and the bird from the painting The Nuns and the Cardinal are the image of the new banknote. This banknote will circulate simultaneously with the current.

Look, touch, lift, tilt, and check are the five steps to recognize the banknote.

 

  • Look: Blue is the predominant color of the new banknote, introducing changes in tone. Its measurements are 128 mm × 66 mm; it is printed on 100% cotton security paper.
  • Touch: Feel the embossed surface of some images and texts: the figures of the artist, the number “2” in Braille, the texts “DOS MIL PESOS” and “BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA,” the logo of the Central Bank, signatures, and micro-texts, among others. These elements facilitate verification of the banknote, especially for the visually impaired. The Central Bank will continue providing, free of charge, a measuring template for the new banknotes in order to help this population identify the denominations based on their sizes.
  • Lift: Discover the watermarks with the face of the artist Débora Arango and the number “2” against the light.
  • Tilt: Note the color change effect in the image of the leaves and the fruit of the milk tree and on the security thread, innovative elements that use last generation inks and threads. Also, discover the hidden image (“BRC”).
  • Check: Items fluoresce when exposed to ultraviolet light, and micro-texts can be read with a magnifying glass.

The new $100,000, $50,000, $20,000 and $5,000 peso banknotes are currently circulating. Soon, the last denomination of this new family, the $10 thousand peso banknote, will start circulating.

The new family of banknotes responds to the needs of the economy, pays homage to outstanding personalities of the country, and exalts our biodiversity, turning it into the new image of our banknotes.

 

Main Security Features of the New 2 Thousand-Peso Banknote

Obverse

Embossed printing

  • Images of the artist Débora Arango.
  • Text: “2 MIL PESOS” in the upper left corner.
  • The texts “BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA” and “COLOMBIA".
  • The signatures of the Governor of the Central Bank and its Deputy Executive Governor.
  • Stripes with geometric figures on the sides of the face.
  • Two diagonal lines in the side edges.
  • The number “2” in Braille on the bottom center (slightly to the left).

Matching images

The left side features matching images of the bird from the painting The Nuns and the Cardinal and the text “BRC” printed partially by front and back, completed when observed against the light.

Watermarks

On the left-hand side of the banknote, Débora Arango’s face can be seen against the light with a three-dimensional effect and the number “2.”

Images with color change

The leaves and the fruit of the milk tree are printed in copper. When turning the banknote, the color of the fruit changes to green.

Hidden image

On the left side of the face, on the blue strip, when holding the banknote in an almost horizontal position from the lower right-hand corner at the height of the eyes, the text “BRC” is displayed.

Exposure to ultraviolet light

The surface of the banknote must remain opaque, except for the following items:

  • Small fibers that fluoresce in yellow and red, randomly distributed throughout the banknote.
  • The security ribbon fluoresces in two colors, red and yellow, in an interleaved fashion.
  • The series number located at the bottom fluoresces in yellow.
  • Some geometric figures and patterns, micro-texts and the cardinal fluoresce in orange and green.

Micro-texts: to be observed with magnifying glass

  • In some undulations and geometric figures located to the sides of the character, the texts “BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA” and “BRC” can be seen.
  • Two vertical blue lines, one to the left of the standing character and another on the right-hand side of the face, contain the text “BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA".

Reverse
 

 

Security Ribbon

    • On the reverse, when tilting the banknote, the security ribbon changes from fuchsia to gold.
    • The text “BRC” and the silhouette of the cardinal can be seen against the light in the security ribbon.

Matching images

Matching images of the cardinal and the text “BRC” (inverted), partially printed by front and back, are completed against the light.

Watermarks

On the right-hand side of the banknote, Débora Arango’s face can be seen against the light with a three-dimensional effect and the number “2” (inverted).

Exposure to ultraviolet light

The surface of the banknote must remain opaque, except for the following items:

  • Small fibers that fluoresce in yellow and red, randomly distributed throughout the banknote.
  • Some geometric figures, patterns, the image of the cardinal, and some birds fluoresce in green and orange.

Micro-texts: to be observed with magnifying glass

  • The text “BRC” can be read on a wavy line in the upper part of the landscape of Caño Cristales.
  • The top right features a fragment of an interview to Débora Arango, taken from the book Débora en plural1.
  • • The right-hand side displays the date of approval of the banknote's edition, and the text “IMPRENTA DE BILLETES-BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA".

 

Banco de la República has also made available to the public, free of charge, teaching materials and a smartphone and tablet application for iOS and Android operating systems, where you can consult the security elements of the new 2 thousand peso banknote.

To access the free training sessions offered by the Central Bank at its branches and cultural centers, please visit: http://www.banrep.gov.co/es/curso-billetes-moneda.

 

 
1 Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín (2008). Débora en plural, Medellín: Escala, p. 10.

 

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