Before the World Savings Day, which is celebrated every year on 31 October, the Bankarium commemorative banknote – the first of its kind in Slovenia – was presented to the public today in the Bankarium, the Slovenian Banking Museum. The banknote features the Art Nouveau building on the Čopova Street in Ljubljana, where the museum is located, and the Carniola bee. The commemorative banknote was designed in cooperation between the NLB, Slovenian Beekeeping Association and Eurosouvenir, and it was printed in an extremely limited edition of 3,000 banknotes.
The size of the commemorative Bankarium banknote is the same as the size of the 20 euro banknote, its colour is the same as the colour of the 500 euro banknote, and its denomination (printed value) is zero. Despite the fact that this banknote was printed in the official printing house Oberthur Fiduciaire in France where Euro banknotes are printed it is not a means of payment, but a commemorative and collectible numismatic item and as such suitable as a gift or souvenir. Since it is printed in an extremely limited edition, its value is bound to increase if you keep it for a while, which makes it also fit for a small investment.
Starting today, the banknote can be purchased at the Bankarium, the Slovenian Banking Museum (Čopova ulica 3, Ljubljana) for 6.8 euro. During the Savings Week (27 October to 3 November 2023), low serial numbers of the bank notes are available together with a 20% discount.
At the presentation of the banknote, Irena Čuk, Director of NLB Cultural Heritage Institute, said the following: “One of the basic missions of the Bankarium museum is financial literacy and teaching people about money and the importance of saving. The Bankarium banknote was created as a tribute and it serves as a symbol of values – work, collect, multiply, and at the same time as a reminder that it is not important to have a lot of money but to know how to manage it properly.”
Boštjan Noč, president of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, which also participated in the designing of this commemorative banknote, added: “On the Slovenian territory, bees and beehives have always symbolized the art of saving, and the Carniola bee is a world-renowned autochthonous Slovenian species. It is therefore not a coincidence that they can be seen on the first commemorative banknote in our country next to the famous Art Nouveau building where the Bankarium resides. We are glad that we were able to participate in its creation adding yet another little piece to the mosaic of cooperation between the NLB and Slovenian Beekeeping Association.
