| Font Name | Used By | Notes | |-----------|---------|-------| | | United States (1930s–1990s) | Custom, no commercial equivalent | | Banknote Roman (De La Rue) | Many Commonwealth countries | Proprietary font from security printer De La Rue | | Times New Roman (modified) | Bank of England (1970–1990) | Heavily tracked and condensed | | Trajan (modified) | Various Asian currencies (e.g., older Thai baht) | Only capitals used | | Goudy Old Style (variant) | Older Mexican pesos | Distinctive ‘e’ and ‘a’ |
: A modern re-interpretation of the "Blackface Bank-Note Roman" originally designed by Edward M. Weeks for American currency.
: Because we associate these sharp, serifed letters with government authority, the font moved from currency into the world of "prestige" branding—appearing on high-end certificates, wine labels, and law firm letterheads. Why It Matters Today
: In 1948, Ingo Zimmermann designed Banknote 1948 , a font that mimics the specific uppercase letters found on US Dollars, intended for use on Deutsche Marks issued during the post-war period. Core Characteristics of the Banknote Aesthetic
The roots of the Banknote Roman style trace back to the 19th-century boom in commercial and security printing.