A new 5 dinar banknote
On February 15, the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) issued a new five-dinar polymer banknote, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the February 17, 2011 revolution, which saw the end of the Gaddafi regime.
An initial order of 5 billion Libyan dinars was signed, to arrive in the same week from the United Kingdom, where the printing presses of the English company De Laoghaire were located, which fully supervised the printing process.
It is worth noting that De Laoghaire is the only foreign company that has had a partnership agreement with the Libyan government since independence to supply banknotes.
The new banknote is printed on polymer instead of paper. It retains the design, color, and many of the specifications of the previous five-dinar banknotes introduced in 2015, but with some changes, and measures 136 x 68 mm. The front features an image of the Clock Tower, one of Tripoli's most famous landmarks. The back includes an illustration of the Temple of Zeus.
The front of the banknote features a picture of the clock tower in the municipality of the old city of Tripoli. It is a small tower topped with a clock and a bell, and was ordered to be built by the governor Ali Rida Pasha. It is considered one of the historical landmarks in the city of Tripoli.
The back of the banknote features an image of the ruins of the city of Shahat, specifically the Temple of Zeus, who, according to Greek mythology, is considered the king of the gods.
As for the dimensions of the paper, it is 68 * 136 mm and the predominant color is light brown/gray.
Security features
The new banknotes were designed to help reduce counterfeiting, thanks to features such as security markings and the use of four colors. Other security features include:
- A transparent window replaces the traditional watermark field and includes a picture of resistance leader Omar al-Mukhtar.
- Around the transparent window there is a tactile element, which is a series of raised outlined square shapes, to help blind people identify banknotes.
- There is a security thread that includes a small transparent text on the right side of the clock tower (on the face side).
- The latent image number “5” is applied to the geometric shape next to the lower left corner and to the right of the number. When the observation is tilted under light, the number is visible (on the side of the face).
And many other features such as:
- The number 5 can be seen when the light is shone from behind.
- Changing the colors of shapes under ultraviolet light
- Magnetic numbering
- iridescent engraving in colors
- Illuminated numbers
- Microscopic engravings
- intaglio
The new banknote is part of the Central Bank of Libya's plan to gradually develop a new local currency, transitioning from printing banknotes on regular linen paper to printing on polymer paper. The 5-dinar note follows the introduction of the new 1-dinar note, which entered circulation two years ago. The Central Bank of Libya plans to replace the 10, 20, and 50-dinar banknotes in the future.
