The Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) has introduced a redesigned series of banknotes that pays tribute to the region’s distinguished leaders and achievements while replacing the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II with figures who have shaped the Eastern Caribbean.
The new currency was unveiled on Thursday July 9th, during a ceremony in the Commonwealth of Dominica, where Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Timothy N.J. Antoine and members of the ECCB Monetary Council marked the transition of the council’s chairmanship.
Governor Antoine said the redesign reflects the voices of the people of the Eastern Caribbean, noting that public consultation played a central role in selecting the individuals featured on the new banknotes. He said the public made it clear that the region’s currency should recognize the heroes, nation-builders, scholars, and leaders whose contributions have helped define the Eastern Caribbean.
Each of the ECCU’s eight member countries was invited to nominate an individual whose legacy exemplifies leadership, public service, scholarship, and excellence.
The redesigned EC$100 note features Nobel Prize-winning economist Sir William Arthur Lewis alongside Saint Lucia’s former Prime Minister, Sir John George Melvin Compton.
Appearing on the EC$50 note are former ECCB Governor Sir K. Dwight Venner, who led the central bank from 1989 to 2015, and Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw of St. Kitts and Nevis.
The EC$20 banknote honours Antigua and Barbuda’s first Prime Minister, Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr., together with former Dominica Prime Minister Dame Mary Eugenia Charles.
Montserrat’s former Chief Minister William Henry Bramble and Anguilla political leader James Ronald Webster are featured on the EC$10 note.
The EC$5 banknote recognizes former St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Robert Milton Cato alongside Grenadian Olympic champion Sir Kirani James.
The updated banknotes also introduce the ECCB logo encircled by the flags of the union’s eight member states, marking the first time the design has incorporated all member nations in this way.
As part of the redesign, Sir K. Dwight Venner’s portrait has been moved to the front of the EC$50 note, while Sir William Arthur Lewis now appears on the front of the EC$100 note instead of the reverse.
The ECCB also announced that the region’s coins will be updated, with the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II being replaced by the ECCU logo, further reflecting the union’s regional identity.
