Annual Report 2004

note paper and the distinctive ÒraisedÓ
feel produced by intaglio printing. In
all known counterfeit categories,
forgers have so far failed to successfully
reproduce these features. While
the quality of the counterfeits recovered
has increased, the FEEL —
LOOK — TILT test (see box 5) remains
sufficient to detect euro counterfeits.
To remain at the cutting edge of
technical progress and innovation,
banknote series are replaced at regular
intervals. A key aspect in designing
the new series of euro banknotes
is the EurosystemÕs objective to provide
state-of-the-art security features.
Since banknotes are highly sophisticated
products that need to be
produced in large quantities, preparatory
work on the next banknote series
already started in 2004. The first
banknotes of the new series are expected
to be issued toward the end
of this decade.
When it comes to establishing the
authenticity of banknotes, their quality
(ÒfitnessÓ) is a key factor. The better
the quality is, the easier it is to
check the security features, especially
the property of the paper and the
raised ink features. In order to guarantee
the fitness of the euro banknotes
circulating in Austria, the
OeNBandGSAprocessedapproximately
960 million banknotes in
2004. In other words, every banknote
circulating in Austria was checked
three to four times on average by
OeNB or GSA experts and removed
from circulation when found unfit.
At the same time, more and more
banks and retailers with a high cash
turnover use special equipment on
site to check banknotes for authenticity
and, to some extent, for quality.
To be able to offer guidance to users
and producers of such equipment, a
Test Center was installed in the
Integration of Payment Services in Europe and Consolidation
of Cash Distribution Structures in Austria
OeNBÕs Cashier Division in 2004,
where banknote and coin handling
machines can be checked for their
usefulness and effectiveness. Furthermore,
work is under way to establish
a structured procedure for making
the test results available to a closed
user group (via the dedicated website
for professional cash handlers,
https://bargeld.oenb.at). At the same
time, the OeNB thus meets ECB requirements
for cash recycling machines.
Yet the efforts to produce stateof-the-art
banknotes and ensure the
fitness of circulating banknotes alone
are not enough; cash users must also
be familiar with the security features
of banknotes. This is why educating
the general public, but above all professional
cash handlers about the distinctive
features of euro banknotes
is of utmost priority. After all, cashiers
at banks and retailers and the police
are at the forefront of protecting
the public at large against counterfeits.
In this respect, the OeNB again
considerablysteppedupitsinformation
activities in 2004. All in all, the
OeNB hosted 495 workshops to provide
in-depth information to more
than 10,000 cash-handling experts.
Furthermore, the OeNB reached
out to approximately 68,000 people
via its mobile branch office, the euro
bus touring Austria, as well as at trade
fairs.
The OeNB uses its regional network
of cash service providers as a
channel for disseminating information
and hosting training sessions on
banknotes. The OeNBÕs branch network
offering cash services throughout
Austria was reorganized in 2004
following the changeover to the euro.
The establishment of four regional
hubs ensures that the OeNBÕs range
of services continues to be accessible
throughout Austria. The decision to
Continuous
monitoring of
banknote quality
OeNBÕs regional
network of cash
service providers
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