The Central Bank will introduce the new Coat of Arms on new banknotes from August 2026, beginning with the ‘Series 2026’ $100 denomination.
This was confirmed by the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago via a media release on Friday evening, which noted that following its introduction, all $100 notes and notes of other denominations with Series dates prior to 2026 as well as all coins bearing the former Coat of Arms will be changed out on a “phased basis.”
The Central Bank said it will therefore allow the old notes and coins with the former Coat of Arms that are in active circulation to remain legal tender until January 2031 or a later date if extended by the Finance Minister.
The new Coat of Arms bearing the steelpan became valid from February 25th, 2025, however the ‘old’ Coat of Arms with the three Columbus ships remains valid until January 2nd, 2031.
The new ‘Series 2026’ $100 note replaces the current 2019 version, following what the Central Bank describes as standard global practice: updating banknotes midway through their lifecycle, typically every seven years, to take advantage of advances in printing technology and anti counterfeiting features.
The design of the Series 2026 will retain key elements of the 2019 Series in terms of look and feel, including colour, size, substrate (polymer), national flag and tactile features for the visually impaired.
It will however include a number of enhanced security features, including a larger transparent ‘window’ incorporating the Bird of Paradise, with additional security features that take into account advances in banknote printing technology over the last five years. And it will also include the new Coat of Arms.
The Central Bank also pointed out that time is also needed for infrastructure modernisation to accommodate processing of the new denomination based on its specifications and security features and for the execution of a comprehensive “Know Your Money” (KYM) public education currency campaign.
It stated that it will publish Public Notices with further details closer to the release date of the new banknote Series