New Belizean Currency Design: What You Need to Know
Hold on to your wallets — Belize’s money is getting a glow-up.
Starting August 4, 2025, the Central Bank of Belize will officially launch a brand-new family of banknotes. The value stays the same — but the look, the feel, and the meaning are all changing.
This isn’t just a security update.
It’s a cultural shift.
A reminder that our currency isn’t just paper — it’s identity.
💵 What’s Changing — and Why
For the first time in decades, Belize is redesigning our national currency.
According to the Central Bank, the updated notes were created to:
- Celebrate our heritage
- Introduce advanced security features
- And ensure the integrity of our money in a digital age
But there’s one change that speaks louder than any watermark or security thread.
🧑🏽🤝🧑🏽 A Change in Faces: From Royalty to Belizean Legacy
For years, our banknotes featured Queen Elizabeth II — a symbol of our colonial past.
But now, in a historic move, the Queen is gone.
She’s been removed from all denominations.
In her place, we now honor two Belizean giants — men whose names already move with us every day:
🟫 Rt. Hon. George Price
Appears on the $5, $20, and $100
The Father of the Nation. A humble leader who walked Belize through independence with vision and grace.
You’ll find his name on our roads —
The George Price Highway connects Belize City to Belmopan, San Ignacio, and the Guatemalan border.
Now, his name and face move through the hands of the people he fought for.
🟪 Hon. Philip Goldson
Appears on the $2, $10, and $50
A fearless defender of free speech, education, and democracy.
His name is in the air —
The Philip Goldson International Airport is where most travelers first touch Belizean soil.
Now, he also appears on the first bills many will exchange.
This is more than design.
It’s a statement.
“We no longer carry a queen. We carry the men who carried us — not just in our past, but on our highways, in our airports, and now, in our wallets.”
👀 Look Closer: Visual Security Features
Each banknote includes new high-tech features that help fight counterfeiting and support accessibility — without losing cultural meaning.
🔍 See-through Register
Hold the note to the light and a complete numeral denomination appears between the front and back.
🌈 Tilt Effects
- Watch the orchid ($2) or clock tower ($5) move as you tilt.
- The color-shifting threads glow green to red ($20) or green to blue ($50 & $100).
- A rolling rainbow effect lights up the central stripe.
🪞 Oblique View
Some images appear only when viewed from the side — hidden until held just right.
🤲🏽 Feel the Change: Tactile Features
These new bills are also built with inclusion in mind.
- The left side of each bill has raised bars so the visually impaired can recognize denominations by touch
- The wording and portraits are also embossed — a subtle but important detail
🔒 Why It Matters
In today’s world, money has to be more than printed ink — it has to be smart, secure, and hard to fake.
But Belize didn’t just upgrade security.
We upgraded meaning.
This currency carries who we are, not just what we spend.
♿ Designed for Everyone: Accessibility in the New Belize Currency
Imagine having to tell the difference between a $2 and a $20 bill just by touch. That’s the daily reality for the approximately 2,000 visually impaired Belizeans who navigate life with limited or no sight.
As Carla Ayres Musa, Director of the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired, pointed out — this everyday challenge is now being addressed. With the release of the new currency, Belize has taken an important step toward inclusive design by adding tactile features to the notes. These improvements make it easier for blind and visually impaired individuals to live with greater independence and dignity.
👉 This change isn’t just about modernization — it’s about respect, equality, and everyday usability.
Belize’s new currency is now something you can feel — literally and symbolically.
💵 Will Belize’s New Money Lose Its Value?
No. The new currency design does not change the value of Belizean money.
A $20 note is still worth $20. The only thing that’s changed is what’s printed on it — not what it’s worth.
Belize’s Central Bank has made it clear:
- The redesign is about cultural identity, security upgrades, and modernization —
not about inflation, devaluation, or a currency reset. - Old bills will remain valid and in circulation for now, until they are gradually phased out.
🧠 Why the Value Stays the Same
- The Belize Dollar (BZD) remains pegged to the US Dollar at 2:1
- That peg is managed by the Central Bank, not affected by the images on the notes
- It’s similar to when other countries update designs for:
New leaders
Better security - Or modern representation
Think of it like getting a new passport design — it still works the same, just better reflects who you are.
→ Learn more about Belize’s fixed exchange rate and financial stability
✅ What to Do With Old Bills
You don’t need to rush to exchange your old money.
- All current bills remain legal tender until otherwise stated
- Banks and businesses will accept both versions during the transition
📍 When and Where
The new notes begin circulating on August 4, 2025.
They will coexist with the current bills during a transition period — so don’t worry if you still have the older designs in hand.
You can preview the new designs at:
👉 www.centralbank.org.bz
👉 Or ask your local bank to see a sample set
🧬 Currency as Culture
We’ve changed flags.
We’ve changed names.
Now we’re changing the look of our money — not to forget the past, but to build on it.
This is a chapter that belongs in our history timeline:
🗓️ 2025 — Belize redesigns its national currency to reflect a modern, inclusive identity.
💬 Final Thought (From Me)
While I grew up with the Queen on our money, I always wondered — even as a child — why she was still there after we gained independence.
Later, I came to understand the history, the ties to England, and the weight of what we inherited.
But over the years, I also watched as other countries began stepping forward — reclaiming their voice, their symbols, their space.
And now, here we are.
In 2025, Belize’s currency no longer carries a monarch.
It carries our own leaders — men who weren’t born into royalty, but who built something with struggle, sacrifice, and service.
This isn’t just a change of face.
It’s a quiet revolution.
It’s a blend of values, history, and culture that truly reflects who Belize is becoming.
Our money now speaks with a Belizean accent.
And I’m proud to hold it in my hand.
📎 Want More?
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