On Monday, you'll start seeing the brand new currency notes enter circulation. This morning, representatives from the Central Bank were guests on Sunup on 7 where they spoke about the reason for the change and the new design. But more than just being more aesthetically pleasing and durable, the new notes also feature enhanced security features. The Assistant Manager of Currency Management explained these features.
Delroy Rhaburn, Assistant Manager, Currency Management, Central Bank
"If you hold the notes up to the light, you'll notice that they all have the watermark just like the current notes. It's a smaller portrait of the national hero and above their heads you'll see the denomination in Mayan numerals. If you look at the bottom, that little diamond shape is a see through window, it connects to the back and it also has the Mayan numeral as well for the denomination. And we also have the serial numbers, one on the right side and one on the left side of the note. We still have a security thread but this one is more enhanced. If you look at the notes now, that $5 that you have there, you'll see the old security thread is just a silver strip that appears on all the notes. On these new notes all the security threads are unique, they're color shifting so as you tilt it you'll be able to see the colors change in the thread for the $2 and the $5. For the higher denominations, so the $10 up we have what we call a holographic stripe which is similar to a thread but it's wider and it's also color shifting."
"There's a new feature that we're excited to talk about, if you notice at the side of the bill, there are some lines. So we call those tactile marks and that's for the visually impaired, so those lines are raised, it starts with one line on the $2 and so forth. So the visually impaired will be able to feel those lines and be able to tell what denomination is in their hand."
"There are UV features on all the bills, you'll be able to see at the center the mahogany tree on all the bills and at the bottom you'll be able to see the black orchid."
Again, the Central Bank stresses that the value of the currency will not change, and the current notes will still be usable.
