Dutch Printer Royal Joh. Enschedé to Close

[eurocoin]

Royal Johan Enschedé has today announced that it stops producing banknotes. They can no longer compete against the state-owned banknote printers. They will continue to produce stamps and other products.

[chrisild]

Sad in a way, especially because the mint will also be "different" fairly soon. But from what I have read, the paper money production has not been profitable for Joh. Enschedé for a fairly long time - basically since the early 90s. Then again, I remember that Deutsche Bundesbank gave several euro printing jobs to Enschedé in a tender procedure, so I guess they offered the better deal, profitable or not. Giesecke & Devrient, by the way, suffers from the same problems: competitors that are owned and "nourished" by governments ...

Christian

[chrisild]

Now this is somewhat off-topic, but it does have to do with the competition among bank note printers. The theory that government-owned printing companies make it impossible for others to stay profitable seems to have its flaws. On one hand, central banks like the one in Belgium also have plans to close their facilities. On the other hand, private companies open new ones:

22 Sep 2016 - "Crane Currency (...) today announced plans to build a new banknote printing facility and customer experience center in the country of Malta." - (media release) And that would not be the only one in the country:

22 Nov 2016 - "(...) De La Rue has today announced that it will continue to print currency at its factory in Malta. The company has been working in Malta for over 40 years (...)" - (media release) May well be, of course, that in one way or another these locations and projects are subsidized as well ...

Christian

[Figleaf]

Things are indeed not what they seem. Crane currency is the force behind the scenes opposing metal US dollars and profiting from monopolistic government orders through bespoke politicians, costing voters millions of dollars. It's the same system used by Boeing that enables the US to subsidise companies and deny it.

Peter

[Bimat]

Joh. Enschedé, a Dutch printer of security documents, will be closing its currency printing department. They have started e-auction of equipments which are being used for currency printing. You can see the listings here, a fascinating look into currency printing!

Aditya

[eurocoin]

While it was already known since late last year that they were going to stop printing notes, I had not expected it to go this fast. 

[Pellinore]

Nr. 133 would be interesting for banknote collectors. All other stuff is apt for forgers...
-- Paul