Dynamic Images
Used on:
• 2015 SG50 $50 and $10, 2017 CIA50 $50, and 2019 B200 $20 commemorative notes
Dynamic images are the latest security feature introduced into Singapore’s banknotes. Their appearance changes in one or two ways when a banknote is tilted: colour-shifting effects, where colours switch depending on the angle of light, and motion effects, where parts of the image appear to move. These features are created using special inks or micro-structured surfaces that reflect light in precise ways. Unlike latent image patches, which reveal hidden shapes only from certain fixed angles, or Kinegrams, which use holographic foil to produce multicolour reflections, dynamic images rely on optical depth and movement to create a changing visual experience.
In Singapore, dynamic images are found only on the more recent commemorative notes. The 2015 SG50 $50 note has a special stripe with movement effects that create a sense of depth in the image of Lee Kuan Yew. When tilted, the SG50 logo on the same note changes colour, and the year flips between “1965” and “2015”. The SG50 $10 note also has a stripe that shows changing images of the Coat of Arms, SG50 logo, and the same two years. The 2017 CIA50 $50 note includes a clear window showing the Singapore’s Istana and Brunei’s Istana Nurul Iman, both using colour effects that shift when viewed from different angles. On the 2019 Bicentennial $20 note, a gold stripe contains a woven design with changing images, including the number “20”, the Coat of Arms, the Bicentennial logo, and the years “1819” and “2019”, all of which appear to move when the note is tilted.
