Nominations are now being invited for the 4^th IACA Excellence in Currency Awards, to be presented at the 2011 Currency Conference which takes place October 2-5 in Singapore.

The awards, sponsored by Currency News, were introduced in 2007 to promote and recognise excellence in currency production, processing, management and distribution and are open to any organisation or individual products and systems of the currency industry, as well as issuing authorities, commercial banks and enforcement agencies.

There are nine categories:

• Best New Banknote or Series
• Best New Coin or Series
• Best New Currency Feature (eg new security features, changes to substrates, innovations in banknote durability)
• Best New Currency Product (eg innovative printing, designing, processing or dispensing equipment)
• Best New Currency Innovation (eg a new model, concept or process that fundamentally changes how currency is produced, processed or circulated)
• Best Public Education Campaign
• Outstanding Achievement (a new category for an individual involved in some milestone in the currency industry)
• Lifetime Achievement Award (normally made to an individual who has retired in the past 18 months and who has made a lasting impact on the currency industry).

The nominations for new features, products, innovations, notes or coins must relate to those introduced since the last awards presentation in May 2010.

Nominations can be made via IACA's website (www.currencyaffairs.org) and organizations can nominate themselves, their customers or suppliers.

The closing date is June 30, 2011. From the nominations received, the IACA Awards Committee will draw up a shortlist of three in each category, which will then be put to a vote of the IACA membership. The winners and runners-up will be announced and presented with their awards during the Currency Conference.