ECCB unveils new EC banknotes honoring regional heroes

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank unveiled redesigned EC banknotes in Dominica on July 9, replacing Queen Elizabeth II with portraits of national heroes and regional figures from across the eight-member ECCU. The new series is meant to reflect public input and the shared identity of the currency union.

Why it matters: - The redesigned EC banknotes put regional identity at the center of the currency. - The change replaces the likeness of Queen Elizabeth II with people chosen to reflect the history, leadership and achievements of ECCU member countries. - The redesign also extends to EC coins, which will feature the ECCU logo instead of Queen Elizabeth II.

What happened: - Governor Timothy N.J. Antoine and members of the ECCB Monetary Council unveiled the new banknote designs on Thursday, July 9, during the Ceremony to Mark the Change in Chairmanship of the ECCB Monetary Council in Dominica. - The ECCB said the redesign honors the people, heritage and achievements of the eight member countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. - The banknotes no longer feature the likeness of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The details: - The $100 banknote features Sir William Arthur Lewis, Nobel Prize for Economics laureate in 1979, and The Right Honourable Sir John George Melvin Compton of Saint Lucia. - The $50 banknote features former ECCB Governor Sir K. Dwight Venner, who served from 1989 to 2015, and The Right Excellent Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw of Saint Christopher and Nevis. - The $20 banknote features The Right Honourable Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Snr of Antigua and Barbuda and The Honourable Dame Mary Eugenia Charles of Dominica. - The $10 banknote features The Most Excellent William Henry Bramble of Montserrat and The Honourable James Ronald Webster of Anguilla. - The $5 banknote features The Right Honourable Robert Milton Cato of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Sir Kirani James, LLD (Hons), of Grenada. - For the first time, the new banknote series includes the ECCB logo encircled by the flags of the ECCU, described as the ECCU logo. - Sir K. Dwight Venner now appears on the front of the $50 banknote instead of the back. - Sir William Arthur Lewis now appears on the front of the $100 banknote instead of the back. - The redesign for EC coins will replace Queen Elizabeth II on the front with the ECCU logo.

Between the lines: - The ECCB framed the redesign as a response to public input, saying the Monetary Council invited residents to help shape the new chapter for the currency. - The choice of national heroes and regional figures signals a broader effort to make the currency a visible marker of Eastern Caribbean identity. - Moving key portraits to the front of the notes gives the honorees more prominence in everyday use.

What's next: - The ECCB is expected to roll out the new designs across the currency union. - The bank’s planned coin redesign will follow with the ECCU logo on the front. - The new note series will circulate as the region updates its currency imagery around shared heritage and homegrown achievement.

The bottom line: - The EC currency is shifting from colonial-era symbolism to a lineup built around Caribbean leaders, scholars and national icons.