Last Update May 19, 2010

Bank note printing and cash management system firms worldwide show their expertise by printing examples or samples, usually called Test Notes or Promotional Notes.

The most common types are:

· Test notes made for marketing purposes.

· Test notes produced for large, international gatherings of currency collectors, dealers, bank note issuing authorities, and ATM manufacturers. Examples would include: International Bank Note Society annual meetings and CeBIT, Centrum der Büro- und Informationstechnik; German for "Centre of Office and Information Technology", the world's largest computer trade show.

· Test notes made for trial runs of future use.

· Test ATM's and other devices such as currency counters. (Thanks, Jim!)

· Test notes made for banking and cash handling firms to practice with new issue of notes.

Henderik Siepel Image Slideshow

The following images are but a sample of the 200+ testnotes from Henderik's collection. Find Henerik's email address at the links page here. Click once for each new image & wait for the image to appear.

Have news on test notes or the firms that produce them?
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TESTNOTE GROUP

THE CATALOG OF TEST NOTES 6th Edition COMPLETED!!

Webmaster's note of 5/19/10.

The 6th Edition offers the following:

Valuations in uncirculated condition for all notes

NOW IN PDF (ADOBE ACROBAT) ELECTRONIC FILE.

1000+ note images (over 2 3/4 times the 1st Ed.) ALL IN COLOR!!

268 Firms doctumented with Test Notes Produced - 171 ATM & financial services, 97 Printer firms.

2,241 Unique test notes attributed, with many additional subvarieties, such as date, logo, address, et.al. other minor changes.

Images of 90+% of each test note set.

Introduction, Table of Contents, and Glossery.

Table of Contents is color coded to indicate ATM firms or Printer firms.

225 Pages

Here's the Word document of the Introduction here

Here's the spreadsheet of the Table of Contents here

Here's the ordering instructions for THE CATALOG OF TEST NOTES

This web page has the following available:

Ø International Bank Note Society Show Test Notes

Ø Table of 47 known bank note firms issuing test notes, with firm information,a test note example, and number of test notes attributed.
This does not include the many sub-varieties, shown with a letter after the catalog numbe, such as 123a. Sub-varieties include “Specimen” overstamp, UV properties presence, small/large logo, new/old logo, date change, form number change. among others.

Ø Table of 187 known ATM firms issuing test notes, with firm information,a test note example, and number of test notes attributed.
This does not include the many sub-varieties, shown with a letter after the catalog numbe, such as 123a. Sub-varieties include “Specimen” overstamp, UV properties presence, small/large logo, new/old logo, date change, form number change. among others.
ATM test note examples are under construction, with notes being added periodically.

International Bank Note Society European Congress

No promotional notes were made for the International Bank Note Society European or LondonCongress from inception (1979) until 2001.
1986 Brabury Wilkinson Catalog # BW-191a
1986 Brabury Wilkinson Catalog # BW-191b
1987 Brabury Wilkinson Catalog # BW-191c
1988 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-221a
1988 AB Tumba Bruk Catalog # BRUK-111a
1989 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-231a
1989 Harrison's Security Printers Catalog # HARR-101a
1990 Harrison's Security Printers Catalog # HARR-101b
1990 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-221b
1991 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-241b
1992 Brabury Wilkinson Catalog # BW-191d
1993 Proba Forma Catalog # PROB-101a - Blue
1993 Proba Forma Catalog # PROB-101b - Green
1993 Walsall Security Printers Catalog # WALS-101a
1993 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-171b - NO IMAGE YET
1994 Thomas De La RueC atalog # TDLR-251
1995 Debdens Security Printing Catalog # DEB-101d
1995 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-171c - Blue
1995 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-171d - Green
1996 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-261a
1997 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-261b
1998 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-271c
1998 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-271e
1999 - 2000 not Available. Anybody have a sample or image?
2001 Thomas De La Rue Catalog # TDLR-281a

Bank Note Printers

The following bank note printers test note table contains information on paper suppliers, ink suppliers, banknote readers, banknote counters, counterfeit detection equipment manufacturers, currency strappers, and substrate (holograms, Kinegrams, stamping foils) suppliers, and currency disintegrator machine manufacturers as well. The number of know test note varieties is listed as well.

Printers Test Note Table CLICK HERE

ATM Firms

The following ATM firms test note table contains information on currency counters, banks and virtual banks providing ATMs, dispensing machine manufacturers, system integrators, ATM service firms, ATM safe manufacturers, secure electronic financial transaction providers, ATM resellers, and timed access cash controller equipment manufacturers as well. The number of know test note varieties is listed as well.

ATM Test Note Table CLICK HERE

Any samples or images will be greatly appreciated and put to good use quickly!

A similar or related collecting interest are Souvenir Cards and Proof Cards, printed by printing firms for marketing purposes and specifically for collectors. Examples of these include the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing and American Bank Note Company print cards for ANA meetings in Memphis and other locations across the United States. This group is not included here since they are not test notes for the following reasons:

· Printed on cardstock, not banknote paper.

· Souvenir Cards have engraved "note" only part of a larger cardstock.

· Often say "Souvenir Card" or "Souvenir TESTNOTES Sheet" on the card.

Drug Intervention

Bank note printing and cash management system firms worldwide show their expertise by printing examples or samples, usually called Test Notes or Promotional Notes. The most common types are: