New Currency Design to Be Unveiled in January 2025

We’ve been keeping you in the loop for months about the Central Bank’s new currency designs. Well, the wait is almost over! The designs will be unveiled in January 2025. And don’t worry, the change in design won’t affect the value of your money. The new currency is set to roll out in the third quarter of the year, but your old bills will still be good to use. Governor Michael reassured everyone about this today.

 

Kareem Michael, Governor, Central Bank

“I must stress that while our new bank notes will look different, the value will remain the same. Design does not equal value, a dollar is still a dollar. Our rate of exchange remains the same, which is two Belize dollars to one U.S dollar. And just again from our information, the removal of the monarch portrait is not novel. Belize will be joining a growing list of commonwealth countries that once featured Queen Elizabeth the Second on their money but no longer do today. The new currency designs will honor receipts of the order of National Hero, the Right Honorable George Cadle Price and the Honorable Phillip Goldson. With the passing of Queen Elizabeth the Second, the Central Bank, it was made very clear to our central Bank when in the ordering of our current family of notes there will be cut off point where we could keep ordering notes with Queen Elizabeth. There is a work around where we could backdate it. The other option was make sure you put the new head of the monarch on your notes. And, we were faced with that decision. That presented an opportunity for us to consider should we go that way. This is where that pivot began.”