YEREVAN, April 4. /ARKA/. A hybrid collectible banknote ‘Noah's Ark’ issued by Armenia’s Central Bank was named the "Best Banknote of the Year in the Region" at the High Security Printing EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) conference, held in Warsaw, Poland, in February 2018, the Central Bank of Armenia reported.

The Central Bank issued the hybrid banknote with the face value 500 drams on November 22, last year, the day which is marked as the Armenian Currency Day.

The size of the banknote is 140 x 76 mm. It is printed on high-quality Hybrid ™ composite material, covered on both sides with cotton paper and protected by a thin layer of polyester. The banknote has a multi-colored Noyan Tapan (Noah's Ark) watermark, as well as a face value watermark.

The award was presented by the Reconnaissance International company, the organizer of the conference. This company releases five different magazines, including Currency News, dedicated to security printing, also organizes seminars and conferences, and provides strategic consulting to governments and entrepreneurs.

Banknotes from Russia, Georgia, Israel, England, Switzerland and other countries took part in the competition.

The annual award is awarded to those banknotes which combine the beautiful design, technical features and high-level protection. The main standard of assessment is the artistic approach, the application of technology and high-level protection. At the same time, importance is attached to the presentation of the cultural heritage of the issuer's country, as well as the direct connection of the currency’s design and the symbolic elements used with the issuer's country. -0-