Questions and answers - New banknote and coin series

Who will design the new banknotes and coins?

Göran Österlund won the Riksbank's design competition to design new Swedish banknotes. His proposal "Kulturresan/ Cultural journey " will be used as the artistic base for the new banknotes. You can find pictures of the winning design via the link Pressphotos in the menu.

With regard to the coins, they will be designed by designers commissioned by the Riksbank's supplier of coins. The appearance of the new coins will be determined in 2012. 

When will we have the new banknotes and coins in our wallets?

Discussions are being held between the Riksbank, the banks, the retail trade and cash-in-transit companies regarding the timetable for the new series. A decision will be taken in spring 2012. The new notes and coins will be introduced at the earliest in 2015.

Why is the Riksbank replacing our banknotes and coins?

Banknotes must be difficult to counterfeit. The current banknotes were designed 25 years ago, and we need to equip them with new security features. The aim is that Sweden will continue to have an effective protection against banknote forgery. The current coins are large and heavy in relation to their value. They need to be smaller and lighter to reduce the costs of handling them. The changes being made will also reduce the impact on the environment. As we are to introduce a 200-krona note and re-introduce the 2-krona coin, this would appear a suitable time to implement a major change in the banknote and coin series. 

Who has decided that we will have new banknotes and coins?

The Riksbank is responsible for supplying Sweden with banknotes and coins and has decided that a change should be made. The Riksdag, the Swedish parliament, has approved the Riksbank’s request to issue a 200-krona note and a new 2-krona coin by changing the Sveriges Riksbank Act. 

What are the changes?

The banknotes will be smaller than they are now, and will have a new design and new motifs. The new banknote series will consist of six denominations: 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 krona. There will be three new coins: a 1-krona, a 2-krona and a 5-krona. The 10-krona coin will not be changed. The new coins will be much smaller than the current ones. The 1-krona and 2-krona coins will be copper-coloured and the 5-krona coin will be gold-coloured. 

Why do we need a 2-krona coin and a 200-krona banknote?

It will be possible to make many payments with a 2-krona coin instead of with two 1-krona coins, and with a 200-krona note instead of with two 100-krona notes.  This means that fewer banknotes and coins will be needed in circulation. It will be cheaper to handle them and easier for the general public to make payments with them. 

Who has decided how the new banknotes and coins will look?

The General Council of the Riksbank decides on the design of banknotes and coins. 

What motifs will the new banknotes have?

The General Council of the Riksbank has chosen two themes for the new banknotes. These themes consist of people who have made major cultural achievements and also Swedish nature and environment motifs.  The General Council has chosen people who have lived and worked in the 20th century, who are popular among the general public and are also well-known internationally. The nature and environment motifs have a known link to the people chosen. A further criterion is that the people chosen should be linked with different parts of Sweden. The motifs chosen are:

What are the new security features?

All of the banknotes will have a new security feature known as “Spark”, which means that the colour shifts in nuance when the banknote is tilted and magnetic pigments in the dye give an image effect. Moreover, the higher denominations, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 krona will have a further security feature known as “Motion”, which is a window thread embedded into the banknote paper, giving an impression of movement when the banknote is tilted. This feature is already used on the most recent version of the 1,000-krona banknote. 

What motifs will the new coins have?

There is a long tradition of having the King’s portrait, motto and monogram on the Swedish coins. The General Council has decided to retain this tradition and to continue to have the Swedish head of state as the theme.  

What will happen to the older versions? Will they become invalid?

The Riksbank has not yet reached a decision on this issue. If banknotes and coins become invalid, the Riksbank will ensure that the general public is informed in good time.