Banco Central del Paraguay has revealed a completely redesigned family of guaraní banknotes, introducing a unified visual identity, modern security features, improved accessibility and designs celebrating the country’s history, culture and natural heritage.
The Banco Central del Paraguay (BCP) has officially presented a new family of guaraní banknotes, marking one of the most significant changes to Paraguay’s physical currency in decades.
Unveiled on October 5, 2026, the new family includes all six denominations currently used in Paraguay: ₲2,000, ₲5,000, ₲10,000, ₲20,000, ₲50,000 and ₲100,000.
But the project goes considerably beyond giving the country’s banknotes a new appearance.
In its official publication documenting the project, Nueva Familia de Billetes del Paraguay 2026, the BCP describes the development of a new banknote family as one of the most complex and strategic undertakings a monetary authority can carry out. Rather than redesigning denominations individually, the bank sought to create an integrated system in which every note belongs to a common identity and follows consistent principles for authentication, accessibility and use.
One Family, Six New Designs
A major objective of the project was to establish a recognizable visual relationship across the entire series.
The six denominations retain their individual identities while sharing common design principles. Together, the notes tell a broader story about Paraguay, connecting important people and periods in the country’s history with its cultural traditions and natural environment.
The ₲2,000 denomination focuses on Paraguay’s Indigenous heritage.
The ₲5,000 denomination highlights the Jesuit missions and figures associated with that period.
The ₲10,000 denomination represents important figures in Paraguay’s early national history.
The ₲20,000 denomination turns toward military and national history.
The ₲50,000 denomination recognizes the country’s educational heritage.
And the ₲100,000 denomination celebrates Paraguayan music and culture.
The official BCP publication devotes individual sections to each of the six denominations, documenting both their artistic elements and the technical decisions behind the new designs.
Paraguay’s Natural Environment on the Reverse
The reverse sides provide another unifying element for the family.
Rather than relying solely on monuments or historical scenes, the new banknotes place significant emphasis on Paraguay’s biodiversity and landscapes. Different ecological regions of the country are represented across the denominations, allowing the six notes to collectively depict Paraguay’s varied natural environment.
This approach helps connect the historical themes on the fronts with a second story about the land itself.
The broader visual program also incorporates elements associated with Paraguayan culture and identity. The result is a banknote family intended to represent the country as a whole rather than a collection of unrelated individual designs. The BCP says the banknotes are intended not only to function as a means of payment but also as an expression of Paraguay’s heritage, history and national values.
Accessibility Was Built Into the New Family
Accessibility was also treated as part of the design process rather than as an added feature.
The new family uses physical and visual distinctions to make denominations easier to identify. Among the most noticeable changes are different lengths for the six denominations, creating a progressive size system across the series.
This is particularly useful for people who are blind or have low vision because denomination can be identified partly through the physical dimensions of the note rather than relying exclusively on printed information.
Large denomination numerals, visual contrast and tactile characteristics further contribute to denomination recognition. The result reflects a broader change in modern banknote design, where accessibility is increasingly considered alongside security, durability and aesthetics.
Security as a Complete System
Security was one of the central reasons behind development of the new family.
Rather than viewing individual security features in isolation, the BCP approached the banknotes as a coordinated authentication system. Each denomination combines features that allow the public to recognize genuine currency while also providing more sophisticated levels of verification.
The new family incorporates a range of modern banknote security technologies, with the exact combination varying according to denomination and substrate.
These include features intended to be recognized by sight, touch and movement, alongside more advanced elements used for machine and professional authentication.
The BCP describes the project as an investment in confidence, security and quality, designed around international best practices and the continuing evolution of payment systems and counterfeiting threats.
Polymer Continues to Play a Role
The new series also continues Paraguay’s use of polymer banknotes.
The country has already gained experience with polymer in circulation, and the new family combines polymer and traditional banknote substrates according to denomination and intended use.
That distinction is important because the material used for a banknote affects far more than its appearance. Durability, security technology, production requirements and how frequently a denomination changes hands all play a role in selecting a substrate.
The result is a family that shares a common visual identity even though the physical construction and security technology can differ from one denomination to another.
A Project Years in the Making
Although the public first saw the completed family in October 2026, the project began years earlier.
Development required historical and cultural research, technical studies, design work, security evaluation and consideration of how Paraguayans actually use cash.
The BCP notes that creating an entire banknote family involves much more than choosing portraits and colors. The process requires decisions that will affect millions of everyday transactions for years after the notes enter circulation.
The central bank also consulted specialists from different fields as it developed the historical, cultural and environmental themes incorporated into the designs.
That work ultimately resulted in a coordinated family rather than six independent redesigns.
Official Designs Finally Revealed
The October unveiling is particularly significant because images claiming to show Paraguay’s future banknotes had circulated online before the official presentation.
In September, the BCP publicly warned that those images did not represent the new banknote family and asked the public to wait for the official October 5 presentation.
That makes the designs published by the Banco Central del Paraguay the authoritative first look at the new series.
The BCP has also released an extensive 176-page publication documenting the project, including the development of the family, its design principles, individual denominations, security features and the historical and environmental subjects represented on the notes.
When Will the New Banknotes Enter Circulation?
One important distinction for collectors is that the October 2026 presentation is an unveiling, not the circulation date. The new family is expected to begin entering circulation during 2027, with the transition taking place gradually.
Current Paraguayan banknotes will not suddenly become invalid when the new designs appear. Instead, existing and new notes are expected to circulate together as the BCP introduces the new family and older notes are gradually removed through the normal currency-management process.
For collectors and catalogers, this creates an important distinction between the 2026 presentation of the new family and the eventual 2027 circulating issues.
A New Chapter for the Guaraní
The new family represents much more than a visual refresh.
It brings Paraguay’s six banknote denominations under a common design system while incorporating contemporary security technology, accessibility considerations and a much broader representation of the country itself. Historical figures share the series with cultural traditions, landscapes, wildlife and other elements of Paraguayan identity.
The BCP describes cash as continuing to play an important role even as payment systems become increasingly digital. Physical currency remains universally accessible, supports financial inclusion and provides resilience when other payment methods are unavailable. The new family was designed with that continuing role in mind.
For collectors, the October 2026 unveiling offers a detailed preview. The next major milestone will come in 2027, when the new guaraní banknotes begin making the transition from official designs to circulating currency.
Source:
Banco Central del Paraguay. Nueva Familia de Billetes del Paraguay 2026. The official BCP publication includes the history and development of the project, design concepts, technical information and dedicated sections for each denomination.
