ECCB unveils redesigned EC banknotes honoring regional heroes

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has revealed new EC banknotes that replace Queen Elizabeth II with regional heroes and a new ECCU logo. The redesign, unveiled in Dominica on July 9, reflects a public push to make the currency more representative of the eight-member Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.

Why it matters: - The Eastern Caribbean Currency Union’s banknotes will now spotlight local leaders, nation builders and regional achievement instead of a royal portrait. - The redesign is meant to reinforce a shared EC identity across the eight-member currency union. - The new designs also mark a broader shift in how the region presents its history and symbols through everyday cash.

What happened: - Governor Timothy N.J. Antoine and members of the ECCB Monetary Council unveiled the redesigned banknotes on July 9 during the Ceremony to Mark the Change in Chairmanship of the ECCB Monetary Council in Dominica. - The new banknote series removes the likeness of the late Queen Elizabeth II. - The ECCB said the public helped shape the redesign through a consultation process led by the central bank. - The announcement followed a public call for the currency to honor the region’s own heroes, nation builders and other standout figures.

The details: - The $100 note features Sir William Arthur Lewis, who won the 1979 Nobel Prize in Economics, and The Right Honourable Sir John George Melvin Compton of Saint Lucia. - The $50 note features former ECCB Governor Sir K. Dwight Venner and The Right Excellent Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw of Saint Christopher and Nevis. - The $20 note features The Right Honourable Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Snr of Antigua and Barbuda and The Honourable Dame Mary Eugenia Charles of Dominica. - The $10 note features The Most Excellent William Henry Bramble of Montserrat and The Honourable James Ronald Webster of Anguilla. - The $5 note features The Right Honourable Robert Milton Cato of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Sir Kirani James, LLD (Hons), of Grenada. - The new series adds the ECCB logo encircled by the flags of the ECCU for the first time. - Sir K. Dwight Venner’s likeness moves to the front of the $50 note from the back. - Sir William Arthur Lewis moves to the front of the $100 note from the back. - The redesign for EC coins replaces Queen Elizabeth II on the front with the ECCU logo.

Between the lines: - The redesign gives the ECCB a visible way to reinforce regional ownership of the currency. - Placing national figures on the notes may deepen public connection to the money in circulation and to the union’s shared institutions. - The move away from Queen Elizabeth II also signals a more distinctly Caribbean presentation of state symbols.

What's next: - The ECCB will move toward circulation of the redesigned notes and coins. - The new designs are likely to become a routine part of daily transactions across the ECCU once introduced broadly. - The central bank’s public communications channels will carry further updates, including its official announcements and updates.

The bottom line: - The ECCB is turning EC currency into a stronger showcase for Caribbean identity, history and regional pride.