Money from around the world

I have been looking closely at many many examples of currency from around the world I am particularly interesting in examples that feel different and distinct. How a countries currency can show the culture of a country and what elements of design are used throughout and what makes each one different.

 These two images here show some albania currency from 1947. The level of detail is incredible. The elaborate type is really beautiful and feel strange and different. The designs paint a fantastic picture of Albania in the 1940's. The design feels much like the Annie Atkins designs for the Grand Budapest hotel. The way the different tones have been built up through different levels of dense line make for a very detail and finely drawn bank note.

Looking in contrast from the Albania currency in 1947 and this current day currency for Afghanistan the difference is clear right away. This currency though detailed work much more with blank space this put all the focus of the designs onto the very detailed image of the building in the middle. The boarder around the image is almost completely clear and the spacing of the various elements reflects the open spacing of the Arabic writing. 

This Armenian Dram of 1993 uses only nine distinct elements including the interact background on the left hand side/ Each element is a very different style, colour and shape and comes together in a kind of mix match of images. The type stating the currency value (25) is reasonably subtle and other parts of the design stand out much more. The design feels as if it reflects the culture of Armenia of the time and is very distinct and unusual. 

These two notes are Armenian Dram issued in 1999 the variation of front to back is noticeable and even though there are similar elements the design is quite different. The beautiful tones of the mountains seem to both contrast and complement each other, the design doesn't in a way feel like a bank note design but a piece of artwork. The use of greens and reds colours in contrast to the very clear layout creates an interesting composition. The type of the 5000 is clear when in a large space on its own on the bottom side. The top feels as if the focus is more on the illustration rather than the clarity of the type. This shows the amazing contrast from the Armenian Dram in 1993 to now the design is much more modernised compared.

This image of Bhutan currency shows an incredible level of complexity and use of so many different colours. It is amazing to see a bank not being so full using up all of the space but the boarder, the value of the note is so hard to decipher in this mess of imagery. The complexities of colour make the image almost uneasy on the eye and slightly confusing.

What struck me with this currency of Burundi is the use of negative space in the middle showing the shape of the country. It makes the design so distinct and easy to identify. The large amount of full green is what make the white stand out some much. This something I may chose to use in my designs.

This currency for Djibouti's use of three of four different colours is brilliant. The red stands out so much with the blue and yellow as does the smaller black texts. This kind of print would lend itself very much to screen printing. The size of the note is another aspect I have not yet though but should consider, how does the shape effect how we interact with it?

This Ghanaian Cedis bank note is really different from any other bank note I have seen, the simplicity of if is pretty amazing. The back image of the beach is very simple compared and the image is very open and doesn't have a particularly large amount going on. In my designs I think I am going to look at using a similar structure in terms of one side being more formal and  clear then the other being more playful and illustrative.

This Asian currency is again very different, the image is rather awkward in the ways its put together. There are so many different contrasting elements, it is as if the designer was unsure on what to include. The number of writing styles and uses of type makes the design very confusing. The use of many different colours feels particularly inconsistent and harsh on the eye.

This bank note design is extremely different in areas and is unlike any of the designs I have looked at. The almost abstract illustration of the man on the horse in the centre seems to dominate the image and is really quite different and something that is not typically seen. The background of this there is a strange abstract shape that looks to me like people holding hands in a circle this combined with the the illustration of the man on the horse makes for a very unusual design. The rest of the image strangely is pretty common and looks much like the 1993 Armenian bank note design previously seen. This design has shown me that I have the possibility to be abstract in my designs and it may not look out of place as this is a real piece of currency.

The currency of the country of Burma is particularly bizarre looking. The type for starters is a thing to behold, the square nature of each of the letters emphasises the regular gridded style seen in parts of the design. But this really contrasts the intricate details seen around portrait of the general/soldier. Due to the number of colours printed this unusual warp of colours creates this interesting colourful mark on the forehead of the the man on the note. This note is really different but is visually captivating there are so many interesting details seen throughout and the more you look at the note the more bizarre things on shown.

This old bank not for Paraguay uses an symmetry in its design to great effect, the imagery on the right and left of the central image is near identical this make the design feel grand and important. Something the government of the time probably wanted the designer to convoy. The use of very fine lines that fan out in a almost natural looking pattern on each side of the image brings all the focus into the central image and type. The use of pillars with the type on top an bottom is particularly eye catching and readable.

This Polish currency is another example of just such a different style. The feeling of grandeur shown in the golden details and overall classical design makes the currency feel very special and sort after. The design is much like a classical painting with the images of angles with halos. The white space on the left hand side is a design feature that breaks up the design a little and visually helps the design be more clear.

   

This classical Romanian money is some of the most beautiful out of the notes I have looked at. The use bold boarders that work like optical illusions to separate each section of the note is tremendous. The sections each stand out differently on the page and have their own distinctive style yet come together to form one unified design. The use of colour is interesting to seen in terms of the three different notes, they all stand out from one another but the designs are consistent in the heading placement that the coat of arms on the right and the image of the man on the left. I love each illustration the graphic nature of the design is amazing, though these notes were made a long time ago the courageous graphics feels some what modern. In terms of type these three notes type feels in conjunction with the  rest of the design brilliantly and fills the space appropriately. These notes are amazing examples of how graphic even classical currency can look. I want to take all I have learnt from these interesting bank notes and see if I can translate it into my own designs.