De La Rue globally supports governments and organisations
De La Rue provides governments and commercial organisations with products and services that underpin the integrity of trade, personal identity and the movement of goods.
Established over 200 years ago, De La Rue is at the forefront of new developments in the delivery of security and integrity to the Cash Supply Chain and the provision of Product Authentication solutions.
Our products and services help countries to trade, companies to sell and economies to grow.
Our focus
De La Rue work with governments, central banks and
commercial organisations around the globe in two core areas:
Currency solutions
Flexibility and expertise derived from a global manufacturing footprint combine with exceptional and seamless product design. De La Rue provides fully finished banknotes, secure polymer substrate and banknote security features to central banks and currency issuing authorities.
Authentication solutions
Safeguarding revenue and reputations demands authentication and traceability solutions that are robust, adaptable and can be quickly deployed. De La Rue provides comprehensive modular software solutions, physical security labels and documents for a wide variety of commercial and government applications.
Our mission
“To provide governments and commercial organisations with products and services that underpin the integrity of trade, personal identity and the movement of goods. Operating in the fundamental areas of cash supply chain, product authentication and citizen identity needs, De La Rue applies vital values to the way in which we do business and the impact this has on our customers.”
Our foundations
Two divisions delivering focus
Currency focusing on banknotes and the Cash Supply Chain management.
Authentication helping to prevent the Illicit trade of products and identities by protecting revenues, reputations and citizens.
Approx. 2,300 employees
We have about 2,300 dedicated and passionate employees across four continents and we are moving to be closer to our customers.
One global supply chain
We work with suppliers and partners all over the world to ensure sustainability and reliable delivery to our customers. And we hold these suppliers and partners to the same high ethical standards that we adopt ourselves.
1,000+ patents
Our knowledge is underpinned by over 200 years of continuous innovation. Ideas that derive from our R&D are patented and applied across the various services and products we offer.
The Onoto pen was launched, which was the world's first plunger-filling pen that used the vacuum principle. It became a heavily marketed, extremely successful line, used Field Marshal Earl Haig, Edgar Wallace, and Winston Churchill.
The UK Government commissioned De La Rue to print 10 shilling notes on the outbreak of war, which went into overdrive to deliver 2.5 million notes during the first five weeks of the war.
De La Rue received its first currency order from China, whose continued orders would make it a vital customer for the next 15 years.
During World War II, De La Rue worked with a number of occupied countries to print currency, which was hidden in a quarry until the war was over, when it could be delivered or picked up.
On September 11th, the company's factories and offices at Bunhill Row were destroyed in the Blitz. With the help of other firms, De La Rue was able to deliver on all its critical orders.
De La Rue was listed on the London Stock Exchange on 27 March 1947.
100 years after their success at the Great Exhibition, De La Rue had a large display at the Festival of Britain, and organised a company outing to enjoy it.
In 1957 De La Rue first marketed a banknote counting machine. De La Rue Instruments was later formed to run this line.
De La Rue set up Security Express Ltd with Wells Fargo, to offer secure delivery to those handling money and other secure items.
De La Rue formed the new Formica International with American Cynamid to market Formica worldwide.
Waterlow & Sons, a banknote, stamp, and general security printer, which had been founded in 1810, was acquired.
De La Rue Giori formed, becoming the contemporary sole supplier of banknote printing equipment.
De La Rue jointly developed and installed the world’s first through-the-wall ATM at Barclay’s Bank in Enfield, UK. Photo used with kind permission of Barclay’s Bank PLC.
De La Rue sold its playing card business to John Waddington.
De La Rue acquired Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., a banknote, stamp, and share printer. A year later Amblehurst Ltd was acquired, which became De La Rue Holographics.
De La Rue House in Basingstoke officially opened as the company's UK headquarters.
The Camelot Group plc consortium was established with De La Rue as the security experts, which a year later won the licence to operate the UK National Lottery.
De La Rue acquired Portals Group plc, the manufacturer of banknote paper which had worked with the Bank of England since 1724.
De La Rue acquired Harrison & Sons, the stamp and other security printer, and Ohukuos Cartes et Systemes, which produced smart cards.
In 2003 De La Rue signed a seven year contract to print and supply sterling for the Bank of England, taking over the bank’s manufacturing operation
De La Rue won the Queen’s Award for Innovation for its StarChrome® banknote thread feature
De La Rue won a 10 year contract to produce the UK passport and the Bank of England renewed the contract to print sterling.
De La Rue sold its interest in Camelot.
The first banknote using De La Rue’s Safeguard polymer substrate, the Fiji $5, was unveiled and entered circulation in January 2013
De La Rue celebrated its 200th anniversary.
De La Rue won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation for its super wide Optiks banknote security thread with a clear window in the banknote, and the associated paper making process.
De La Rue launches DLR Identify™, a new citizen centric web based software solution for the secure management, personalisation and storage of citizen identity data.
De La Rue sells Cash Processing Solutions Limited.
De La Rue launches DLR Identify™ for CRVS (Civil Registration and Vital Statistics), a new solution that will help governments to tackle the challenge of citizen identity management and its foundation.
Sir Winston Churchill Fiver, the first polymer banknote in the UK and printed by De La Rue, is issued into circulation today by the Bank of England.
The Central Bank of the Bahamas launches first denomination of new family with De La Rue’s Active™ security thread.
De La Rue acquires DuPont Authentication, a leading global producer of photopolymer holographic films, 3D holograms and associated software.
De La Rue launches DLR Analytics™, a software solution for Central Banks to give data led insight of their Cash Cycle.
De La Rue announces that it has signed up to the United Nations Global Compact sustainability programme.
De La Rue announces that it has entered into a strategic agreement for the Group’s paper business, to be named Portals De La Rue Limited.