Ghana’s central bank on Thursday issued a new heritage series of the country’s cedi currency bills with enhanced security features for the one, two, five, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200-cedi bills, ahead of the country’s 70th independence anniversary.
The new Ghana cedi bills, launched also ahead of the bank’s 70th anniversary next March, have improved layouts and enhanced anti-counterfeiting features, with effigies of notable historical figures, including founding president Kwame Nkrumah and former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as well as historical and cultural monuments, including traditional Adinkra symbols.
President John Dramani Mahama said during the launching that circulation would begin on the first day of December, alongside existing bills, which would be withdrawn gradually, adding that the new banknotes carry the nation’s history into everyday transactions.
Mahama said the new Heritage Series presents a Ghana, confident in its identity, proud of its history, and ready to shape its future. “For visitors and members of our diaspora, its images invite them to discover more of the country we know and cherish.”
“To those whose lives and contributions are honored on this currency, the nation renews its gratitude to all of them. Their service reminds us that the Ghana we have inherited was built through the efforts and sacrifices of people who accepted responsibilities greater than their own,” the president highlighted.
Bank of Ghana Governor Johnson Asiama said the cedi heritage series represents another step in the central bank’s continuing efforts to modernize currency management and preserve confidence in the national currency. “It reflects our determination to ensure that the cedi continues to meet the needs of the economy while remaining a recognizable symbol of Ghana’s sovereignty.”
“A currency is more than just a means of payment. It represents a country’s capacity to manage its monetary affairs through its own institutions and to provide the foundation on which economic activity takes place across the country,” Asiama added.
The credibility of the currency, according to the governor, depends on sound policies, effective institutions, and the confidence of those who use the currency; hence, the introduction of the heritage series to inspire confidence in Ghanaians.