IAG December 2015

Tech Talk
Cash Still King
Banknotes have proven resilient in maintaining their position as the
most secure and flexible means of payment worldwide.
Despite strong growth in the adoption of electronic payments,
G&D expects no fall-off in the demand for banknotes, with banknote
circulation volumes forecast to rise 5% a year for the foreseeable
future. Even in an advanced economy like Germany, more than half of
payments are still made in cash, while globally the figure is about 80%.
“Cash is 100% reliable in times of crisis. It’s in periods of
panic where a solid financial system has to prove itself,” said Ralf
Wintergerst, a G&D board member. “In a crisis situation, the
demand for cash typically rises sharply. The reason for this is trust
in real currency.”
The magic of modern banknotes is that the average person can
quickly distinguish between a genuine and fake one using just their
eyes and hands — it either “feels” real or it doesn’t. Acceptance
by people and machines ultimately determines the success of
banknotes. It’s a testament to the tireless innovation of companies
like G&D that the immediately apparent security features are easily
identifiable yet resistant to counterfeiting. Of course, banknotes also
incorporate further levels of security features that require tools for
verification. There are even concealed security features known only
to central banks.
“It has printed more than 125 billion
banknotes for various currency zones and
exports banknote paper and high-security
foil to more than 100 countries. In 2014
alone, it produced 22,500 tons of banknote
paper and 15 million square meters of
security foil.”
December 2015 inside asian gaming 21