Norway's beautiful banknotes

Fast Company Design

Inside The Design Of Norway's Beautiful New Banknotes

There are few acts of graphic design more daunting than that of creating a new face for an entire country's currency. Even in a world full of digital payment methods, cash still passes through the hands of essentially every citizen, as well as international travelers. Much like the national flag, it's a visual representation of a country's identity. And there are not only political factors to take into account when deciding what--or who--should be represented on bills, but security issues and anti-counterfeiting measures to consider. 

All of which makes it particularly impressive that Norway's brand new currency design manages to be not just passably interesting, but beautiful. ("The world's best money," even, to quote one of many laudatory headlines.)

See all entries from the design competition HERE.  Stunning!