The Most Beautiful UV Patterns in Banknotes: Regula’s Pick

Now, let us turn to the most eye-pleasing UV patterns.

The Abkhazian apsar depicts local flora and fauna, as well as landscapes and symbolic elements. The central composition on the obverse features a red deer set against a backdrop of snow-capped Caucasus mountains, alongside a blackbird perched on a pine branch. In the left corner, seven stars arranged in a semicircle represent the Abkhaz flag. The commemorative banknote exhibits bright UV fluorescence under both 254 nm and 365 nm light.

The reverse depicts an ancient stone artifact and the Temple of the Lion King (Prasat Tao) located in Sambo Prei Kuk, Kampong Thom Province. On the right, the Lion King (chinthe) is shown guarding the temple.

The banknote features text in both English and Khmer. It is printed in pastel green, orange, brown, and yellow tones, which transform into vivid neon colors under UV light.

The obverse of the Caribbean guilder from the 2025 series features vibrant marine life native to Curaçao and Sint Maarten, symbolizing the unity of the two countries.

Particularly, the banknote depicts the stoplight parrotfish and the common music volute sea snail on the front.

Under UV light, additional marine species become visible. The entire composition transforms, creating the impression of diving beneath the surface and observing the underwater world at night.

The central composition of the banknote features a baobab tree standing by the seaside, set against a sand dune. It is complemented by a nautilus shell at the center and lines from the poem Destinée in French by Mbaye Trambwe. The banknote includes text in both French and Arabic.

UV fluorescence is present under both 254 nm and 365 nm wavelengths.

The Central Bank of Costa Rica began issuing 50.000 Costa Rican colón banknotes in 2009. They were withdrawn from circulation in 2022. The discontinuation of this denomination was due to its high face value, which made it unsuitable for everyday transactions, limited compatibility with ATMs, and increased counterfeiting.

However, the design remains visually appealing, featuring a cloud forest, parasol mushroom, bromeliad plant, and morpho butterfly, with a tree fern in the background.

UV glow highlights the bromeliad plant, tree fern, and parasol mushroom, along with the banknote’s serial number and security threads.

The Czech Republic 100 korun commemorative banknote marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Bank of Czechoslovakia, as well as the introduction of the Czechoslovak currency. The reverse of the banknote depicts the former Městská spořitelna Pražská savings bank, a figure with a beehive, and a wreath of fruit.

The same composition is visible under 365 nm UV light, retaining its sketch-like design while introducing a neon green glow.

One of the most vibrant and touching banknotes is the commemorative Fiji dollar. It celebrates 50 years since Fiji gained independence on October 10, 1970. The reverse of the banknote features Fijian children from various ethnic groups joyfully moving together while waving the national flag.

Under UV light, the children are highlighted with a yellow glow, one of the key colors of the banknote.

Of course, our list is not limited to modern banknotes. For example, the Guatemalan quetzal featured here is from the 1992 series. The obverse depicts Dr. Mariano Gálvez, a jurist, liberal politician, and Head of State of Guatemala. The portrait is accompanied by the banknote denomination and a quetzal bird, after which the currency is named.

Under UV light, the banknote is densely covered with security fibers and dots that fluoresce, creating a distinctive and vibrant UV glow due to their high concentration.

The 2022 Guyanese 2,000-dollar note is a commemorative polymer banknote celebrating the 55th anniversary of independence. The obverse prominently features the Bank of Guyana logo, a map of Guyana, the national flag, a jaguar head, and the national flower, Victoria amazonica, along with the “One Guyana” logo.

Under UV light, the national flag becomes even more colorful and brighter, creating a dynamic effect as if it were unfolding.

The banknote retains the same design as the 2018–2022 issue, featuring a portrait of Prince Ferenc Rákóczi II. UV fluorescence is visible under both 365 nm and 254 nm light.

Many design elements become visible only under UV light — for example, musical notes and a clarinet, as well as the denomination number on the holographic stripe. In addition, under 365 nm UV light, security fibers and red dots become visible across the entire surface of the banknote. Under 254 nm UV light, certain elements change color from red to green.

The reverse of the banknote depicts the 11th-century Uzgen architectural complex, featuring the minaret and mausoleum with mountains in the background. Under UV light, the banknote displays a colorful glow in red, yellow, and green, along with embedded orange security fibers.

This commemorative banknote is issued to mark the 100th anniversary of Greater Lebanon (1920–2020).

The obverse of the Lebanese banknote features a view of the 1930s-era clock tower with a four-faced Rolex clock in Nejmeh Square, central Beirut, the site of Lebanon’s Parliament. The Maronite Monastery of Saint John Marcus in Jbeil is depicted on the left, while the right side includes a transparent window with a cedar tree at its center.

Under UV light, fireworks appear above Nejmeh Square and the clock tower, while the transparent cedar-shaped window becomes fully colored.

As part of an ongoing program to update the current series of Mexican banknotes, the Bank of Mexico launched a new 100-peso bill in 2020, replacing the design first introduced in 2010. The banknote is presented in a vertical format; until then, Mexican banknotes had always been issued in horizontal formats, except for special editions.

The reverse features the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, where butterflies overwinter in Mexico between November and March.

The main scene — the Monarch butterfly in the temperate forest — glows subtly in blue tones under ultraviolet light, evoking the cold season, while pinecones become visible beneath it.

The Northern Ireland £50 from the 2021 series is a polymer banknote issued by Ulster Bank. It is part of the bank’s “Living in Nature” polymer series. The obverse features a pine marten, gorse (a spiky shrub), and a cryptic wood white butterfly.

Under UV light, two dominant colors — green and orange — become visible, along with a pinecone and the denomination.

The 20 Polish commemorative złoty is dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the coronation of the Icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa. The reverse features a plan of the Jasna Góra Monastery in the upper-left corner and a fleur-de-lis of the House of Anjou in the lower-left corner. The central composition represents a drawing of the coronation of the icon published in Rome in 1717.

The central colorless image glows in green, blue, and red under UV light. In addition, the inscription “NBP Narodowy Bank Polski” appears in the upper-right corner, and the banknote’s serial number glows in a gradient.

The banknote commemorates the centenary of the first 20 lei note issued in 1881. It represents a replica of the original 20 lei banknote issued by the National Bank of Romania in 1881.

It features two transparent windows: one on the left displaying the face value “20,” and the other depicting a portrait of Emperor Trajan wearing a laurel wreath. Below these windows are two raised altars bearing the inscription “ROMANIA,” framed within a rectangular cartouche. At the center, a curved cartouche displays the inscription “BANCA NATIONALE A ROMANIEI,” with the serial number and the issue date “19 Ianuariu 1881” printed below.

Under ultraviolet light, the images within the transparent windows become colorful, while the issuing bank’s logo appears in neon beneath them. At the center of the composition, the dates “1881–2021” become visible.

The Scottish £50 from the 2020 series is a polymer banknote issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland. It is part of the “People’s money” series, featuring prominent Scottish figures. 

The reverse features two ospreys catching a mackerel, and lines of poetry by Neil Munro. 

The UV pattern features dominant green and orange colors, similar to those seen in the Northern Ireland pound mentioned above.

The South Korean 2,000 won banknote is a special commemorative issue dedicated to the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. The obverse features various winter sports, including ice hockey, curling, speed skating, skiing, biathlon, and others.

Under UV the pattern highlights the athletes, while security threads and fibers also become visible through their glow.

This Thai baht banknote commemorates a significant occasion — the 72nd birthday of King Maha Vajiralongkorn (King Rama X). The design follows a traditional Thai style and incorporates numerous national symbols. These include a white-printed Garuda, a mythical bird-like creature, in a transparent window in the top-right corner; the emblem of the royal ceremony marking the 72nd birthday of Rama X in the top-left corner; and depictions of Schoutenia glomerata and Bakul flowers in the background.

The banknote features denominations printed in both Arabic and Thai numerals.

Ultraviolet printing further enhances the composition, intensifying the brightness and highlighting traditional flowers, patterns, and symbols. It is perhaps one of the most striking banknotes, with UV elements covering nearly the entire surface.

And finally, why not take a step further by placing art within art? That is exactly what was done with the Uruguayan peso, which features a reproduction of Baile Antiguo, a painting by Pedro Figari.

It is worth noting that this banknote exists in at least five different series, and the UV pattern varies between them. While the overall design remains largely consistent, certain features differ. For example, in the 2011 series, the painting on the reverse does not fluoresce under UV light.

This variation provides an additional layer of protection against counterfeiting without altering the banknote’s primary design.

All the demonstrated banknotes were sourced from the Information Reference System "Currency" (IRS Currency), an e-catalog of nearly all existing and withdrawn banknotes and coins. It is an indispensable tool for professionals who work with banknotes, such as banks and forensic laboratories engaged in banknote authentication. Detailed reference samples enable accurate comparison of banknotes and help resolve authenticity doubts instantly.

The system includes images captured under forensic light sources, including white light, UV, IR, and transmitted white light, as well as visualization of IR luminescence and magnetic protection. In addition to general views, IRS Currency provides detailed images of security features and printing techniques, as well as animated security elements in GIF format (holograms, Kinegrams, Motion security threads, OVMI, and others).

IRS Currency also includes comprehensive descriptions of each banknote, such as size, material, series, circulation dates, and countries of use, which can be useful during your banknote examination or report generation.

We encourage you to learn more details about IRS Currency that will become an indispensable reference tool for banknote authenticity verification.