ECCB's 26th Anniversary-History of the Notes

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The EC Banknotes

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ECCB's 26th Anniversary

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The EC Banknotes

The ECCB’s management of the EC currency has helped to maintain its peg to the US dollar at a parity of EC$2.70 to US$1.00 since 1976. The maintenance of the fixed rate and the Bank’s continual upgrading of the security features of the EC notes have helped to safeguard the currency’s international value and engender a high level of confidence in the EC dollar.

The first EC banknotes were issued on 15 November 1984 to commemorate the ECCB’s first anniversary. Prior to 1984, the notes in circulation were issued by the East Caribbean Currency Authority (ECCA) between 1965 and 1983 and the British Caribbean Currency Board (BCCB) between 1950 and 1965.

SERIES 1 - 1984
The EC notes maintained the themes of the ECCA notes and featured an updated portrait of the Queen.

These notes were the first to bear the signature of the ECCB’s Governor, Sir Cecil Jacobs, and to be assigned country codes as follows: U - Anguilla, A - Antigua and Barbuda, D - Commonwealth of Dominica, G – Grenada, M – Montserrat, K – St Kitts and Nevis, L – Saint Lucia, and V – St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The main security features of this series were the embedded thread on the right side of the note and the profile watermark of Her Majesty the Queen along with the lithographic and intaglio print.

SERIES 2 - 1993
The $50 note was introduced in the second series which was issued in October 1993 to mark the Bank’s 10th anniversary. The $1 note was not part of the collection as the Bank had ceased to issue it in 1989.

The front of the note was redesigned to feature the new ECCB headquarters, and wildlife, cultural icons or national landmarks of each island on the reverse (see images below).

The see-through element of the larger fish at the bottom left hand corner of the front of the notes was realigned so that the fish on the reverse fits exactly within the outline of the fish on the front. In addition, a compass rose in silver metallic ink was embedded on the back and second and third intaglio colours were incorporated into the main colour scheme.
A barcode unique to each ECCB member country was added at the bottom left hand side of the front of the notes. This machine readable element facilitated easy identification of the orignial country to which the notes were issued.

THEMES AND NOTES
$5		Admiral's House - Antigua and Barbuda Trafalgar Falls- Dominica
$10		The Warspite - Anguilla Admirality Bay - St Vincent and the Grenadines
$20		Government House - Montserrat Nutmeg - Grenada
$50		Les Pitons - Saint Lucia Brimstone Hill - St Kitts and Nevis
$100		ECCB Headquarters Sir Arthur Lewis

SERIES 3 - 1995
The wording and numeral of the denomination were made clearer against the background and further enhanced with minor colour changes.

The colour of the $50 note was changed from purple to brown orange to facilitate easier differentiation from the $10.

SERIES 4 - 2000
The 2000 notes introduced a full-faced image watermark of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The series also displayed a new electrotype feature reading “ECCB” to the left hand side of the watermark.

A gold foil intaglio overprint and a 1.2mm Windowed Cleartext® security thread, which were added to the $100 note in 1998, were incorporated into the other notes. Additionally, a golden iridescent image of fishes was embedded on the reverse of the notes.

SERIES 5 - 2004
The security thread was increased to a 2mm Windowed Facet®. When the notes are viewed from the front under reflected ultra violet light, the letters “ECCB” and the denomination are clearly visible.

A reflective silver foil with intaglio overprint framed with the letters “ECCB” and the denomination replaced the plain gold filigree.

SERIES 6 - 2008
The country codes were removed from the serial number which was modified to include a double alpha character prefix. The barcodes were removed and the fish on the front bottom left hand side made more prominent. All the other existing security features remain unchanged.

To date, all series of notes issued by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank are still in circulation.