The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has unveiled a completely redesigned series of Eastern Caribbean dollar banknotes, marking one of the most significant changes to the region’s currency in decades.
Unveiled on July 9, 2026, the new EC dollar series replaces the portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II with national heroes, nation builders and other prominent figures representing the countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The new banknotes are expected to begin entering circulation in 2027.
The redesign covers all five regular denominations: EC$5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.
A New Look for the Eastern Caribbean Dollar
The most noticeable change is the removal of Queen Elizabeth II from the front of the notes.
The decision dates back to July 2023, when the ECCB Monetary Council approved replacing the Queen’s image on Eastern Caribbean currency and directed the central bank to conduct public consultations. Those consultations were held between July and December 2023 and showed strong support for recognizing national heroes and other important regional figures.
Rather than selecting a single person to replace the Queen across the series, the ECCB took a regional approach. Each banknote features two prominent individuals, creating a group of ten figures representing the history, leadership, culture and achievements of the Eastern Caribbean.
EC$5 – Robert Milton Cato and Sir Kirani James
The green EC$5 banknote features Robert Milton Cato, the first Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, alongside Sir Kirani James of Grenada.
James is one of the more unusual choices for a circulating banknote because he is a living athlete. The Olympic sprinter won Grenada’s first Olympic medal when he captured gold in the men’s 400 metres at the 2012 London Olympics.
EC$10 – William Henry Bramble and James Ronald Webster
The blue EC$10 banknote honors William Henry Bramble of Montserrat and James Ronald Webster of Anguilla.
Bramble served as Montserrat’s first Chief Minister, while Webster, often regarded as the Father of the Nation in Anguilla, played a central role in the 1967 Anguilla Revolution and later became the territory’s first Chief Minister.
EC$20 – Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr. and Dame Mary Eugenia Charles
The purple EC$20 banknote features Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr. of Antigua and Barbuda and Dame Mary Eugenia Charles of Dominica.
Bird was Antigua and Barbuda’s first Prime Minister and an important figure in the country’s movement toward independence. Charles served as Prime Minister of Dominica from 1980 to 1995 and was the first woman to serve as a prime minister in the Caribbean.
EC$50 – Sir K. Dwight Venner and Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw
The EC$50 banknote features Sir K. Dwight Venner, the longtime former Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, and Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Venner served as ECCB Governor from 1989 until 2015 and is already familiar to collectors of Eastern Caribbean currency. His portrait appeared on the reverse of the previous EC$50 polymer banknote. On the redesigned note, his portrait moves to the front.
Bradshaw was the first Premier of St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla and is recognized as the first National Hero of St. Kitts and Nevis.
EC$100 – Sir William Arthur Lewis and Sir John George Melvin Compton
The highest denomination pairs two major figures associated with Saint Lucia.
Sir William Arthur Lewis, recipient of the 1979 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, remains part of the EC$100 design but moves from the reverse of the previous series to the front.
He is joined by Sir John George Melvin Compton, Saint Lucia’s first Prime Minister and a major figure in the country’s transition to independence.
Regional Identity Takes Center Stage
Although the portraits are the most obvious change, the redesign represents a broader shift in how the ECCB presents the Eastern Caribbean on its currency.
For the first time, the notes feature the ECCU logo, consisting of the ECCB logo surrounded by the flags of the eight ECCB member countries. Those members are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The approach allows the new series to represent the wider currency union rather than focusing primarily on the British monarchy. The ECCB has emphasized that the redesigned notes will maintain the security and integrity of the existing EC dollar. The new notes continue the use of polymer, which the ECCB introduced for its regular banknote series beginning in 2019.
When Will the New EC Banknotes Enter Circulation?
Collectors will have to wait a little longer before the new designs actually begin appearing in circulation.
Earlier plans announced by the ECCB called for the redesigned EC$100 banknote to enter circulation by late 2027, with the EC$5, $10, $20 and $50 denominations following as existing stocks of the current banknotes are depleted.
The transition is therefore expected to take place gradually rather than through the immediate replacement of the current polymer series. The existing banknotes will remain in circulation during the transition.
A Major Change for EC Currency
The redesigned series represents a significant break from the traditional appearance of Eastern Caribbean currency.
Queen Elizabeth II had appeared on currency issued in the region for decades, including notes of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Authority and its predecessors before the establishment of the ECCB. The first ECCB banknotes were issued in 1984.
There have already been hints of the direction the currency was heading. The ECCB’s commemorative EC$2 banknote issued in 2023 featured legendary West Indies cricketer Sir Vivian Richards and became the bank’s first note issued without the portrait of the British monarch. A special Grenada EC$50 circulating banknote followed in 2024, featuring former Prime Ministers Sir Eric Matthew Gairy and Maurice Bishop.
The 2026 redesign takes that idea much further. Instead of being limited to a commemorative issue, national and regional figures now form the centerpiece of the entire regular banknote series.
For banknote collectors, that makes the upcoming EC dollar series much more than a routine design update. It marks the beginning of a distinctly new era for Eastern Caribbean currency.
Series announced: July 9, 2026
Expected circulation: Beginning in 2027
Denominations: EC$5, $10, $20, $50 and $100
Issuer: Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB)
Substrate: Polymer
Major change: Queen Elizabeth II replaced by national heroes and prominent regional figures
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