Mexico City – The Sor Juana 100-peso bill has been named banknote of the year for 2020 by the International Bank Note Society (IBNS).
As printer and issuer of the note, the Bank of Mexico beat 24 other nominees to the award, and the Sor Juana bill led the way from the start of the voting process.
The banknote features national heroine Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, with the monarch butterfly biosphere reserve on its reverse.
Born in 1651, Sor Juana was a self-educated nun and intellectual renowned for her poetry, writing and political activism, who criticized the misogyny of colonial Mexico.
In its announcement the IBNS wrote: “Mexico’s award-winning entry may provide a template as other countries reconsider how they design and promote new banknotes. The successful design in eye-pleasing red combines Hispanic architecture, a famous female Hispanic literary figure, and a tribute to the world’s fragile ecosystem.”
Other popular notes included Scotland’s tea room 20-pound note, the Bahamas’ carnival five-dollar bill, Northern Ireland’s 20-pound street musicians banknote and Fiji’s 50-dollar bill celebrating 50 years of independence.
Past bank note of the year recipients include Aruba, Canada, Uganda, the Faroe Islands, two time winner Switzerland and three time winner Kazakhstan, among others.