What is SPARTAN™?
SPARTAN is a finished banknote produced by CCL Secure and delivered ready for issuance by central banks. It is the world’s toughest banknote.
SPARTAN has been designed to withstand the rigours of high transaction velocity at the note/coin boundary and provide a new alternative to minting denominations as coins.
This enables central banks to overcome issues created by coins – including complex and costly production processes, low public appeal, and involuntary hoarding.
How are SPARTAN™ banknotes made?
SPARTAN banknotes begin with a proprietary film called Propanote™ Opacity W. It was developed by our sister company Innovia Films to optimise performance at the note/coin boundary. Opacity W drives durability and eliminates any possibility of opacification ink wear.
This bespoke film is complemented by an innovative, inline production process that delivers extreme durability at lower cost by producing the banknote in a single pass. Production includes overt and covert security features, signatures and serial numbers; multiple layers of pattern work; and inks and gravure printing techniques that create tactility to aide public acceptance.
How does SPARTAN™ differ to other polymer notes?
The Propanote™ Opacity W film that underpins SPARTAN is opaque, not transparent. In combination with specialised inks, this drives durability that independent testing has shown to be up to eight times greater than cotton-paper banknotes.
The bespoke base film also means SPARTAN banknotes don’t feature transparent windows. It provides the key to unlocking a breakthrough gravure printing process that allows SPARTAN banknotes to be produced in a single pass, supporting procurement savings for central banks.
How does SPARTAN™ help central banks?
SPARTAN increases seigniorage, simplifies issuance, and provides an alternative to minting coins. It helps central banks avoid cost and complexity when issuing currency with lower value.
These denominations have long been a difficulty for central banks. High transaction velocity has meant banknotes fatigue vaster at the note/coin boundary, leading to high replacement and disposal costs. Until now, the only alternative has been to move to coins – which create their own problems. Although coins are more durable than any banknote, they tend to be engender high production expenses, low public appeal, involuntary hoarding, and complex production.
SPARTAN strikes the right balance between durability, cost, and public appeal to provide a solution for the well-known challenge of issuing currency at the note/coin boundary.
A full cost-benefit analysis can be supplied on request.
Would the public accept SPARTAN™ banknotes?
Yes. SPARTAN is cash cycle ready and designed to support strong public acceptance.
An innovative production process involving gravure printing and specialised inks helps endow SPARTAN with tactile properties that are similar to paper in order to aide public acceptance.
Numbering can also match fonts and styles to ensure alignment with existing banknotes.
How much cost and complexity is involved in switching to SPARTAN banknotes?
As with any cash cycle upgrade, there will be an initial cost from switching to polymer, but this investment can be quickly recouped through reduced procurement costs in the medium term.
The transition process for polymer banknotes is well established, with decades of data from central banks available to support seamless issuance and circulation. The most significant factors when issuing any new banknote will relate to design elements like size and the type and location of security features. CCL Secure has specialist staff available to support the transition.
Have there been tests carried out to test the durability of SPARTAN™ notes?
Independent laboratory testing shows that SPARTAN banknotes last eight times longer than cotton-paper.
The testing also benchmarked SPARTAN against several polymer and hybrid notes – demonstrating greater durability against a range of key metrics including soiling, crumpling, abrasion, colouring, porosity, limpness, hot washing and Taber abrasion.
Test results are available upon request.
What type of security features do SPARTAN™ notes have?
Many of the overt and covert security features available with GUARDIAN substrate can be applied to SPARTAN as well. Options include metallic inks, magnetics and infrared, high resolution security printing, and colour-shift inks that fluoresce when exposed to UV light.
Because SPARTAN is a finished banknote product, its production process includes numbering – in addition to the unique security signature embedded in the bespoke base film.
What happens to SPARTAN™ polymer notes at end-of-life?
SPARTAN banknotes can be fully recycled using the same process as GUARDIAN substrate. Once they have been recalled and sorted by central banks, SPARTAN notes can be shredded and transformed into new products – from construction materials to household items.