Bermuda new note family (B230a – B235a) confirmed

On 20 February 2009, the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) celebrated 40 years of service, and the island of Bermuda celebrated the 400th anniversary of its settlement by British explorer Sir George Somers. The BMA is marking these landmark occasions by launching the first complete redesign of Bermuda’s banknotes since the Bermuda dollar was issued in 1969. Planning for this launch commenced in 2005, and the BMA received the permission and support of the minister of finance and the cabinet for this new design in the summer of 2007. The objectives of the launch are to update the design of the Bermuda note family, the basic design of which has been in place since 1969; to provide a distinct Bermuda design, and clearly distinguish the note family from the designs of other countries; to provide a sense of national pride and easy identification with the features by the Bermudian public; to combat counterfeiting by increasing the security features; and to issue notes that are durable in the island’s tropical climate. The new banknotes were unveiled on November 24, 2008, and were introduced on March 9, 2009. Subject to the minister of finance’s approval, the BMA is also planning to issue commemorative note and coin products celebrating the 400th anniversary of Bermuda’s settlement.

2 dollars
Turquoise. Front (vertical): English text; Queen Elizabeth II; bluebird; flowers; butterfly; sail boats. Back (vertical): English text; butterflies; compass rose; Royal Naval Dockyard clock tower; statue of Neptune at the Bermuda Maritime Museum. Optiks security thread. Watermark: Hibiscus flower, electrotype sail boat, and Cornerstones. Printer: (De La Rue). 136 x 69 mm. Paper.

5 dollars
Pink. Front (vertical): English text; Queen Elizabeth II; blue marlin fish; flowers; dolphin. Back (vertical): English text; butterflies; bird of paradise flower; Horseshoe Bay beach; boat passing beneath Somerset bridge. Optiks security thread. Watermark: Hibiscus flower, electrotype sail boat, and Cornerstones. Printer: (De La Rue). 136 x 69 mm. Paper.

10 dollars
Purple. Front (vertical): English text; Queen Elizabeth II; blue angel fish; coral; sea turtle. Back (vertical): Anchor; butterflies; ship The Deliverance; cannon; Commissioner’s House building in Somerset Parish. Optiks security thread. Watermark: Hibiscus flower electrotype sail boat, and Cornerstones. Printer: (De La Rue). 136 x 69 mm. Paper.

20 dollars
Green. Front (vertical): English text; Queen Elizabeth II; whistling frog; flowers; lizard. Back (vertical): English text; flower; butterflies; Saint Mark’s church in Smith’s Parish; Gibbs Hill lighthouse in Southampton Parish. Optiks security thread. Watermark: Hibiscus flower electrotype sail boat, and Cornerstones. Printer: (De La Rue). 136 x 69 mm. Paper.

50 dollars
Yellow. Front (vertical): English text; Queen Elizabeth II; longtail tropic bird; flowers. Back (vertical): English text; butterflies; Saint Peter’s church in town of Saint George. Optiks security thread. Watermark: Hibiscus flower electrotype sail boat, and Cornerstones. Printer: (De La Rue). 136 x 69 mm. Paper.

Note: Shortly after the unveiling of the new note designs, ornithologist David Wingate complained that the $50 features a red-billed tropicbird instead of a local white-tailed tropicbird. BMA officials apologized for the error, but won’t change the design because they feel the red bill of the larger bird looks better against the pale yellow background than the orange of the local bird.

100 dollars
Red. Front (vertical): English text; Queen Elizabeth II; Red cardinal bird; flowers. Back (vertical): English text; butterflies; House of Assembly building and olive barkwood tree in Hamilton; Bermuda petrel (cahow) bird. Optiks security thread. Watermark: Hibiscus flower electrotype sail boat, and Cornerstones. Printer: (De La Rue). 136 x 69 mm. Paper.

Courtesy of Ömer Yalçinkaya (omeryalcinkayacollectionshop on eBay).