Termination of the validity of the oldest banknotes

At its meeting on 5 October 2006, the Bank Board decided on a proposal to terminate the validity of the oldest, 1993 versions of the 50 Kč, 100 Kč, 200 Kč and 500 Kč banknotes. If the relevant draft decree is approved in the legislative process, the banknotes will cease to be legal tender as of 31 January 2007. The notes will be exchanged between 1 February 2007 and 31 January 2010 at all banks that provide cash services and from 1 February 2010 at branches of the Czech National Bank.

The 1993 versions of the aforementioned notes differ from versions issued later primarily in that they have the year 1993 marked on the face side and no graphic symbol printed in the lower margin of the watermarked coupon on the reverse side. Notes issued later have the year 1995 or later marked on the face side and a graphic symbol printed in the right-hand lower margin on the reverse side (a heart on the 50 Kč banknote, a letter K on the 100 Kč banknote, a book on the 200 Kč banknote and a rose on the 500 Kč banknote).

Reverse sides of the 1993 versions of the aforementioned notes with no graphic symbol.

There are few such notes still in circulation. They turn up so rarely that they are often suspected of not being legal tender. Cashiers in shops either refuse to accept them or withhold them as suspected counterfeits. The termination of their validity and their exchange only by banks should foster smoother cash transactions.
Notes of all versions with a graphic symbol in the watermarked coupon on their reverse side remain legal tender.

Reverse sides of the versions of the aforementioned notes since 1995 with a graphic symbol.

Pavel Palivec
CNB Communications Department