The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has unveiled a newly redesigned series of EC banknotes that will celebrate the people, history and achievements of the eight member countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), marking a historic shift away from featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II. Photo: ECCB

The new banknote designs were officially unveiled on July 9 by ECCB Governor Timothy N.J. Antoine and members of the Monetary Council during the ceremony marking the change in chairmanship of the Council in Dominica.

For the first time, the EC currency will prominently feature distinguished sons and daughters of the Eastern Caribbean whose contributions have shaped their countries and the wider region.

“Recognising that the currency belongs to the people of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, the Monetary Council invited the public, through the Central Bank, to help shape this new chapter in our shared history,” Governor Antoine said.

“The response was clear and compelling. The people called for our currency to honour our own heroes, nation builders, and persons whose lives and achievements have enriched our countries and strengthened our region.”

Antoine explained that each participating member country was invited to nominate an individual whose life and legacy exemplified service, leadership, scholarship and excellence.

The redesigned EC$100 note will feature Nobel Prize-winning economist Sir William Arthur Lewis alongside Saint Lucia’s first Prime Minister, Sir John Compton.

The EC$50 note will honour former ECCB Governor Sir K. Dwight Venner and St. Kitts and Nevis National Hero Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw.

On the EC$20 note will appear Antigua and Barbuda’s first Prime Minister Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr. and Dominica’s first female Prime Minister Dame Eugenia Charles.

The EC$10 note will feature Montserrat’s William Henry Bramble and Anguilla’s James Ronald Webster, while the EC$5 note will honour St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Robert Milton Cato alongside Grenadian Olympic champion Sir Kirani James.

The redesign also introduces, for the first time, the official ECCU logo—featuring the ECCB emblem encircled by the flags of the eight member states—on the banknotes.

Sir K. Dwight Venner’s portrait has been moved from the reverse side to the front of the EC$50 note, while Sir William Arthur Lewis now appears on the front of the EC$100 note.

The redesign extends beyond paper currency. The ECCB also announced that future EC coins will no longer bear the likeness of Queen Elizabeth II. Instead, the front of all coins will feature the ECCU logo, symbolising the shared identity and unity of the currency union.

The redesign represents one of the most significant changes to the Eastern Caribbean currency since the establishment of the ECCB and reflects a regional effort to celebrate the people whose leadership, service and achievements have helped shape the Eastern Caribbean.