On July 9, a landmark dual ceremony hosted at the InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort’s Trafalgar Ballroom marked two pivotal moments for the Eastern Caribbean currency union: the official handover of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Monetary Council chairmanship to the Commonwealth of Dominica, and the long-awaited public reveal of a fully redesigned collection of Eastern Caribbean (EC) banknotes and coins.
Per official announcements from the ECCB, the rotating gavel passes this year from Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the outgoing chair, to Dr. Irving McIntyre, Dominica’s Minister for Finance. This annual rotation follows a longstanding alphabetical order convention among the ECCB’s eight full member polities: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
As the highest governing and decision-making body of the ECCB, the Monetary Council draws representation from the finance ministry of each member jurisdiction, guiding monetary policy and institutional priorities across the currency union. This year’s leadership transition coincides with a major milestone for the Eastern Caribbean dollar, prompting the ceremonial launch of the updated currency series.
The redesign initiative was launched to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the EC dollar’s fixed peg to the United States dollar, a policy anchor that has supported monetary stability across the region for five decades. In a 2023 decision at the council’s 105th plenary meeting, members approved two core changes: first, removing the portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II from circulating currency, and second, opening the new design process to public input from residents across all member territories.
Public consultation workshops and feedback collection rounds ran between July and December 2023, with results showing overwhelming public support for featuring regional national heroes and foundational nation builders on the new notes and coins, aligning the currency more closely with the region’s independent identity and historical legacy.
For those unable to attend the in-person ceremony, the ECCB arranged free live streaming of the full event via its official ECCB Connects Facebook page and YouTube channel, extending access to audiences across the Eastern Caribbean and global stakeholders interested in the region’s monetary development.