Mauritius announces new banknote design contest

On September 25, 2007, Manou Bheenick, governor of the Bank of Mauritius, announced a design competition for a new family of banknotes to be issued in 2009 to celebrate the bank’s 40th anniversary. Under the theme of “Banknotes—Mirrors of our Motherland,” this eighth series of notes should relate to the islands’ history, culture, ecology, industry, architecture, and landscape. Rs30,000 will be awarded to the winner of the best design as chosen by a jury of eight local artists. The competition is open to Mauritian nationals only, and proposals must be submitted by October 31, 2007.

The bank will also conduct a study on the Mauritian people’s preferences about the patterns to include on these new notes. “The idea is to know what the Mauritian people want to see on the banknotes,” said Bheenick.