ECCB unveils redesigned EC banknotes honoring regional heroes

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has revealed new EC banknote designs that replace the likeness of Queen Elizabeth II with portraits of national heroes and regional icons from the eight ECCU member countries. The redesign, unveiled in Dominica on July 9, also introduces the ECCB logo surrounded by ECCU flags and signals a broader update to the currency’s look.

Why it matters: - The new banknotes shift the currency’s focus from colonial imagery to people and institutions tied to the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. - The redesign puts regional identity, public service and nation-building at the center of everyday money used across the ECCU. - The change also extends to EC coins, which will now carry 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 EC banknote designs on Thursday, July 9, during the Ceremony to Mark the Change in Chairmanship of the ECCB Monetary Council in Dominica. - The banknotes no longer feature the likeness of the late Queen Elizabeth II. - The ECCB said the redesign reflects a public call to make the currency represent the people, heritage and achievements of the eight ECCU member countries.

The details: - The $100 banknote features Sir William Arthur Lewis and The Right Honourable Sir John George Melvin Compton of Saint Lucia. - The $50 banknote features former ECCB Governor Sir K. Dwight Venner and The Right Excellent Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw of Saint Christopher [St Kitts] 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. - The new series includes the ECCB logo encircled by the flags of the ECCU for the first time. - Sir K. Dwight Venner now appears on the front of the $50 note instead of the back. - Sir William Arthur Lewis has moved from the back of the $100 note to the front.

Between the lines: - The redesign is a symbolic reset for the currency and a public reaffirmation of regional sovereignty. - The selection of figures spans economics, politics, leadership and athletics, suggesting an effort to broaden who is celebrated on the region’s money. - The move away from Queen Elizabeth II on both notes and coins follows a wider shift toward local iconography seen across parts of the Caribbean.

What's next: - The ECCB will roll out the redesigned banknotes and coins as the new series enters circulation. - Public attention will likely focus on how quickly the new designs replace existing notes and how the updated coins are introduced across member states. - More information is available through the bank’s social channels and official communications.