This is the 20 Balboa test note from 2014. Panama has been using US dollars so this might be a move to having their own currency.
TEST NOTES
Test money are a part of the test apparatus that are often used with currency handling equipment, such as automatic teller machines.
While it is often desirable to use actual banknotes or coins in the process of testing currency handling equipment, the inherent value of the objects being used means that security procedures must be put in place during the testing period that they are used. If the testing includes destructive testing, where the currency is purposefully damaged or destroyed to see how the machinery will react, further concern will be raised about the subsequent loss in value of the objects. To remove these concerns, test money is often used in place of real currency.
Test money may share some or all of the characteristics of a given currency (size, paper type, paper thickness, colouring, printing characteristics, various denominations), but it also has some form of easily identifiable, non-removable, non-mutable characteristics that differentiate it from legal tender, scrip, or counterfeit currency.
For certain types of bulk cash handling equipment, the test money units may represent bundled or rolled currency.
ATM test notes fit the definition you wrote. A printer's test note is produced as a "house note" to show prospective and current clients and to distribute at currency forums to Central Banks and IBNS shows. One TDLR note was used to secure a U.S. patent on a method of determining bank note wear! I need to write an article in the IBNS journal about that some time.
ReplyDeleteThis Panama note I would call an essay or private printer note, produced for the collectors market. Others include Andorra, San Marino, Greenland, Antarctica, et.al.
Have copied this into a new post as sometimes the comments dont come up . thanks gerry
ReplyDelete