FX.co ★ New Zealand’s $5 named best note of 2015

Nowadays, beauty contests have become very popular. Competitions are held among professional and amateur models, children, pets, and even smartphone cases. Banknotes also follow this tendency. The seemingly easy way to name the world's best note is by choosing the most expensive currency and the biggest nominal value.

However, the International Bank Note Society took a different approach, joining the parade of beauty pageants. Paper money was assessed for its design in a competition organized by the institution. It was the first contest where a panel of judges did not pay attention to the real value of the banknotes, choosing a winner by its appearance instead.

That is why Sweden’s 20 kronor note, Russia’s 100 rouble note, and Kazakhstan’s 20,000 tenge note were named as runners-up. Each note has a unique design yet a different value. The award was given to New Zealand’s $5 note. It was named the banknote of the year for 2015.

After a prolonged discussion, the International Bank Note Society named New Zealand’s five-dollar note a “clear winner”. The $5 shows mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary facing the South Island’s Aoraki/Mount Cook.