Alongside the public vote, the second round of the Best African Circulating Banknote 2026 competition is evaluated by an independent Expert Panel composed of distinguished specialists in the field of banknotes.
Each banknote is carefully assessed according to a comprehensive set of professional criteria, including:
- Design Excellence
- Cultural Significance
- Technical Execution & Security Features
- Innovation
- Quality of Production
Expert Panel Head
Serhiy Trushyn
IBNS #LM-259Germany
Expert Panel Members
Andrew Roberts
IBNS #11848-RUSA
Ayman Dayekh
IBNS #LM-240Lebanon
Dennis Lutz
IBNS #LM-211USA
Francisco Lopez
IBNS #12582-RSpain
Jonathan Kinisu
IBNS #13103-RKenya
Jorge Vera
IBNS #8274-RUSA
Kevin Warfel
IBNS #LM-281USA
Sam Assad
IBNS #12834-RCanada
Stavros Bilis
IBNS #11997-RSweden
Vitalii Cherniuk
IBNS #13299-RUkraine
The members of the Expert Panel are internationally respected collectors, researchers, and numismatic professionals, as well as active members of the International Bank Note Society (IBNS) representing a wide range of countries and expertise.
Drawing on their extensive knowledge and experience, the panel provides an independent professional assessment that complements the public vote. The experts’ scores are combined with the results of public voting to determine the final standings, ensuring that the competition recognizes not only popular appeal but also artistic merit, technical achievement, and excellence in banknote design.
By bringing together the perspectives of both the international collecting community and the general public, the Best African Circulating Banknote 2026 competition celebrates the outstanding creativity, craftsmanship, and cultural heritage reflected in Africa’s circulating banknotes.