East Caribbean States new notes (B231a – B235a) confirmed

According to a press release dated March 31, 2008, “The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank is advising the public that upgraded EC notes of all denominations will be put into circulation from 1 April 2008. The upgraded notes do not bear the barcodes or country codes which form part of the serial number on current notes. Additionally, the fish in the area where the barcodes were, are made more prominent by intaglio ink and the serial numbers on the upgraded notes have two alpha characters instead of one as on previous issues of EC notes. All other existing security features remain unchanged: These are the see-through feature, security threads, watermark of Queen Elizabeth II, electrotype which reads ECCB, intaglio over foil which shows the denomination, silver metallic fluorescence and the iridescent print. The current notes in circulation will continue to be legal tender, and will be replaced in the normal way, through wear and tear, over time.”

B231 (P47): 5 dollars (US$1.85)
Green, violet, and yellow. Front: English text; fish; Central Bank headquarters building; sea turtle; Queen Elizabeth II wearing Grand Duchess Vladimir’s tiara and Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee necklace; green-throated carib bird and flowers; rectangular foil fish patch. Back: English text; Admiral’s House in Antigua and Barbuda; map of islands; silver compass rose; Trafalgar Falls in Dominica; fish. Solid security thread and 2.0-mm wide Facet windowed  security thread with demetalized ECCB 5. Watermark: Queen Elizabeth II, electrotype ECCB, and Cornerstones. Printer: DE LA RUE. 145 x 70 mm. Paper. a. No date. Sig. 2: Venner. Prefix AA – CE.  Intro: 01.04.2008.

B232 (P48): 10 dollars (US$3.70)

Blue, green, orange, yellow, and red. Front: English text; fish; Central Bank headquarters building; sea turtle; Queen Elizabeth II wearing Grand Duchess Vladimir’s tiara and Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee necklace; green-throated carib bird and flowers; rectangular foil fish patch. Back: English text; Admiralty Bay in St. Vincent & The Grenadines; map of islands; silver compass rose; The Warspite schooner in Anguilla; brown pelican; fish. Solid security thread and 2.0-mm wide Facet windowed  security thread with demetalized ECCB 10. Watermark: Queen Elizabeth II, electrotype ECCB, and Cornerstones. Printer: DE LA RUE. 145 x 70 mm. Paper. a. No date. Sig. 2: Venner. Prefix FA – FK.  Intro: 01.04.2008.

B233 (P49): 20 dollars (US$7.40)

Violet, blue, yellow, and orange. Front: English text; fish; Central Bank headquarters building; sea turtle; Queen Elizabeth II wearing Grand Duchess Vladimir’s tiara and Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee necklace; green-throated carib bird and flowers; rectangular foil butterfly patch. Back: English text; Government House building in Montserrat; map of islands; silver compass rose; hands harvesting nutmeg in Grenada; fish. Solid security thread and 2.0-mm wide Facet windowed  security thread with demetalized ECCB 20. Watermark: Queen Elizabeth II, electrotype ECCB, and Cornerstones. Printer: DE LA RUE. 145 x 70 mm. Paper. a. No date. Sig. 2: Venner. Prefix LA – LZ.  Intro: 01.04.2008.

B234 (P50): 50 dollars (US$19)

Blue, green, red, and yellow. Front: English text; fish; Central Bank headquarters building; sea turtle; Queen Elizabeth II wearing Grand Duchess Vladimir’s tiara and Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee necklace; green-throated carib bird and flowers; rectangular foil flower patch. Back: English text; Brimstone Hill fortress in St. Kitts; map of islands; silver compass rose; Les Pitons (volcanoes) in St. Lucia; sooty tern bird; fish. Solid security thread and 2.0-mm wide Facet windowed  security thread with demetalized ECCB 50. Watermark: Queen Elizabeth II, electrotype ECCB, and Cornerstones. Printer: DE LA RUE. 145 x 70 mm. Paper. a. No date. Sig. 2: Venner. Prefix SA – SH.  Intro: 01.04.2008.

B235 (P51): 100 dollars (US$37)

Olive green, black, blue, and brown. Front: English text; fish; Central Bank headquarters building; sea turtle; Queen Elizabeth II wearing Grand Duchess Vladimir’s tiara and Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee necklace; green-throated carib bird and rectangular foil flower patch. Back: English text; St. Lucian economist, Sir William Arthur Lewis; map of islands; silver compass rose; Central Bank headquarters building and fountain; Lesser Antillean Swift birds; fish. Solid security thread and 2.0-mm wide Facet windowed  security thread with demetalized ECCB 100. Watermark: Queen Elizabeth II, electrotype ECCB, and Cornerstones. Printer: DE LA RUE. 145 x 70 mm. Paper. a. No date. Sig. 2: Venner. Prefix VA – VK. Intro: 01.04.2008.

Courtesy of banknoteshop@gmx.net and Frank van Tiel.