ROTATE™

Type

Diffractive — a printed optically variable security feature integrated into iridescent ink designs, producing dynamic motion effects when the banknote is tilted, designed for seamless integration around polymer windows and other features.

Type

The classification deserves a note. ROTATE™ is described in De La Rue's public materials as one of the security features integrated into iridescent ink designs around polymer windows. The exact optical mechanism is not specified in publicly available materials; it could plausibly be characterised as an iridescent printed feature with a dynamic component, an OVI variant, or a micro-optic element working in combination with the iridescent ink layer. In the absence of specific public disclosure, I've classified it as Diffractive with secondary Iridescent characteristics, but this should be treated as provisional pending more detailed technical materials from De La Rue.

Overview

ROTATE™ is a De La Rue printed security feature, deployed as part of the integrated security feature set on the Bermuda Monetary Authority's $2 and $5 polymer banknotes issued in November 2024 — the highest-profile public deployment to date. The feature is designed to be visually integrated into the surrounding banknote artwork rather than standing alone as a discrete element, working in combination with iridescent ink design to create motion effects that appear when the note is tilted. On the Bermuda issue, ROTATE™ surrounds the half-window areas alongside the related ILLUMINATE™ feature, integrated into iridescent ink artwork depicting waves, multiple fish and a sun. The Bermuda $5 won the IBNS Bank Note of the Year Award 2024, and the $2/$5 pair won the Best New Banknote award at HSP Latin America 2025, with the integration of ROTATE™ and ILLUMINATE™ cited in award commentary.

ROTATE™ does not appear to have a dedicated product page on De La Rue's public website at the time of writing — public references to the feature are confined to deployment announcements and award commentary, rather than standalone product literature. Detailed technical specifications would benefit from access to De La Rue's customer-facing brochures or Currency News editorial channels.

Technology & Effects

Public materials describe ROTATE™ as creating motion effects visible when the banknote is tilted, integrated into surrounding iridescent ink design. Iridescent inks themselves rely on transparent pigments containing thin-film-coated mica platelets, which produce angle-dependent colour-change effects through optical interference; ROTATE™'s contribution appears to be a structured optical element that adds a dynamic motion component to this base iridescent layer when the note is rotated or tilted. The feature is positioned as a seamless integration element rather than as a standalone OVD — De La Rue's "feature-first design" philosophy emphasises this kind of integration of security features into the banknote's overall visual artwork. Effect types: Diffractive (provisional, primary), Iridescent characteristics through the host ink layer. Specific optical structure and mechanism are not publicly disclosed.

Form Factors & Application

ROTATE™ is a printed feature applied during the banknote printing stage on De La Rue–printed polymer banknotes, integrated into iridescent ink artwork in surrounding regions of the design — particularly around polymer half-windows and full transparent windows. The feature is deployed in coordinated combination with related De La Rue features such as ILLUMINATE™, with the two working together within the same artwork to deliver complementary tilt-activated motion and visibility effects. Public deployment to date is on SAFEGUARD® polymer substrate; whether the feature is also offered on paper substrate is not publicly stated.

Security Levels

• Level 1 (public): Visible motion effect within iridescent ink artwork when the banknote is tilted, providing an intuitive public verification cue without equipment. The integration of the feature into surrounding design imagery (waves, fish, sun in the Bermuda deployment) reinforces both visual appeal and authentication recognition.
• Level 2 (cash handler): The combination of iridescent ink with the additional structural element responsible for the motion effect creates a printed feature that is difficult to reproduce through commercial printing or photocopying technologies. More detailed Level 2 characteristics are not publicly disclosed.

Notable Deployments

• Bermuda — $2 and $5 polymer banknotes (Bermuda Monetary Authority, issued November 2024): SAFEGUARD® polymer substrate, designed and printed by De La Rue. ROTATE™ deployed alongside ILLUMINATE™, ARGENTUM™ and Enhanced GEMINI™ within an integrated security feature set. Among the first banknotes to feature the effigy of King Charles III. The $5 won the IBNS Bank Note of the Year Award 2024, and the $2/$5 pair won the HSP Latin America 2025 Best New Banknote award.