More information has been revealed about Sierra Leone’s plans to issue new notes. According to officials from the Bank of Sierra Leone disclosed to Parliament that new resized banknotes will be introduced 4 June 2010. “Presenting the resized specimen notes, Mrs. Kadie Saccoh, Director Banking Department said the decision to resize the notes was taken in 2008/9 as she stated that the current currency notes had short comings unlike the new ones. She also said the old notes were difficult in identifying with other denominations because of its easiness to mix with other notes.…Explaining the advantages of the new notes, she said it makes it easier to be separated from other notes and for the visually impaired to sort out as well as mixed denominations could be identified while they fit into wallets and also enhances the security features. The security feature of the resized notes is that it has a tilt feature visible only when tilted in a particular angle or direction. It also has a look feature for distant visual features such as the watermark, thread and ‘cricket legs.’ They are also unique and have a touch feature. The new ten thousand Leones notes have a mould made water mark of a lion’s head and also a hologram with the inscription of Le 10,000 and BSL. It has a blind recognition and a lift [Latent Image Family Technology] classic.” Current notes will continue to circulate for up to one year from the introduction of the new notes.
