Due to “sustained periods of high inflation and the perennial depreciation of the currency,” on 29 November 2019 the Bank of Ghana announced a new 2-cedi coin, as well as new 100- and 200-cedi notes. Existing 1- and 2-cedi notes remain legal tender, though these denominations will be gradually replaced by coins to reduce costs.








Courtesy of Murtaza Karimjee (www.africancollectible.com).

Tags: Ghana

According to a CNN article dated 1 July 2019, the Economic Community of West African States (consisting of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo) has adopted the name “eco” for a planned single currency to be used in the region. Originally intended to be launched in 2000, the common currency has been postponed multiple times, and the newest target date is 2020.

Tags: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Malagasy Republic, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

According to a press release dated 8 April 2019, the Bank of Ghana planned to introduce “upgraded” banknotes with improved security features, durability, and machine readability on 6 May 2019. All denominations feature Crane’s RAPID windowed security thread; a more prominent watermark of Tetteh Quarshie, cocoa pod, and electrotype denomination; and an enhanced golden iridescent stripe of gold bars on back. The 10-, 20-, and 50-cedi notes also have a SPARK Live feature at lower left front.



Courtesy of Numisnota (http://numisnota.eu).

Tags: Ghana

Like B145g, but new signatures and new date (1st AUGUST 2017). Prefix HV.

Courtesy of Andrew Roberts.

Tags: Ghana

Like B147f, but new date (4th AUGUST 2017) and new signature. Prefix UG.

Courtesy of George Provencal.

Tags: Ghana

Like B148f, but new signature (Ernest Addison) and new date (4th AUGUST 2017). Prefix XD.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B153, but without commemorative text center front, new date (4TH AUGUST 2017), and new signature (Ernest Addison). Prefix AV.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B151c, but new date (1st JULY 2016), signature 14. Prefix XR.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

According to a press release dated 30 March 2017, the governor of the Bank of Ghana, Abdul-Nashiru Issahaku, has resigned "for personal reasons" after exactly one year in office. According to an article on Bloomberg, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed Ernest Addison as the nation’s new central bank governor. Issahaku's signature appears on only the new commemorative 5-cedi note (B153) introduced 4 March 2017.

Courtesy of Dennis Zammit and Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

According to the text on center front, this legal tender 5-cedi note is “Celebrating 60 years of central banking in Ghana / 1957-2017.”


B153 (PNL): 5 cedis (US$1.45)
Blue. Front: Star as registration device; Flagstaff House (presidential palace) in Accra; coat of arms; James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey. Back: Coconuts; Kwame Nkrumah (floating production storage and offloading) vessel in Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme off-shore oil fields; cocao pod; gold bars; QR Code; cowrie shells; star. Windowed security thread with demetalized 5 and star. Solid security thread. Watermark: James Kwegyir Aggrey and electrotype 5. Printer: Unknown. 131 x 68 mm.
a. 4TH MARCH 2017. Signature 14. Prefix AA, AB. Intro: 04.03.2017.

Courtesy of Hartmut Fraunhoffer (Banknote-Online).

Tags: Ghana

According to an article in Business Day Ghana dated 12 February 2017, the Bank of Ghana plans to introduce a new legal tender 5-cedi note on 4 March 2017 to commemorate the bank's 60th anniversary. On 26 January 2017, the bank issued a press release confirming the new 5-cedi note while also categorically denying rumors of new 30-, 100-, and 200-cedi notes circulating on social media.

Tags: Ghana

According to a press release, "Dr. Abdul-Nashiru Issahaku has been appointed by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana as the Governor of the Bank of Ghana with effect from Friday, April 1, 2016." Expect new signature varieties to follow.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B145f, but new date (1st JULY 2015) and left serial number in serif font. Prefix GS.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B152b, but new date (1st JULY 2015). Prefix BT.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B148e, but new date (1st JULY 2015). Prefix WM.

Courtesy of Marco Fragel.

Tags: Ghana

Like B120b1, but new date (2nd July 1980). Prefix AP.

Courtesy of Rex Hilligan.

Tags: Ghana

Like B146e, but new date (1st JULY 2015). Prefix QR.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B151b, but new date (1st JULY 2015). Prefix XK.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B147e, but new date (1st JULY 2015). Prefix TC.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B152a, but new date (1st JULY 2014). Prefix BG - BP.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B145e, but new date (1st JULY 2014). Prefix FU - GF.

Courtesy of Marco Fragel and Sejin Ahn.

Tags: Ghana

Like B151a, but new date (1st JULY 2014) and new signature (Henry Kofi Wampah). Prefix XH.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B148d, but new date (1st JULY 2014). Prefix WB - WF.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

5 cedis, 1st JULY 2014. Like B146d, but new date. Prefix QC.

10 cedis, 1st JULY 2014. Like B147d, but new date. Prefix ST.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B147c, but new date (6th MARCH 2013) and signature.

Courtesy of Radoslaw Dlouhy.

P.S. Radoslaw also mentions that Ghana's National Museum in Accra has some exhibits of banknotes including many specimen notes.

Tags: Ghana

1 cedi, 6th MARCH 2013. Like B145, but new date and signature (Henry Kofi Wampah).

5 cedis, 6th MARCH 2013. Like B146, but new date and signature (Henry Kofi Wampah).

20 cedis, 6th MARCH 2013. Like B148, but new date and signature (Henry Kofi Wampah).

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B150a, but without commemorative text at upper center, new date (6th MARCH 2013), and new signature (Henry Kofi Wampah, who took over as governor from Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur on 6 August 2012).

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

The 1-cedi note dated 6th MARCH 2010 (B145) is confirmed available with and without an electrotype 1 in the standard watermark of Tetteh Quarshie and cocoa pod.

It has been confirmed with a new electrotype variety:

On the earlier notes (B145c), the 1 is outside the cocoa pod, below and to the right.


On the newer notes (B145d), the 1 is partially on the cocoa pod, at left center.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

According to a press release dated 9 July 2012, the Bank of Ghana intends to enhance the security of the 50-cedi banknote (B149) by replacing the square holographic patch at lower right front with a cocoa pod printed in green-to-blue SPARK ink. The revised note is scheduled for introduction in early August 2012. The notes bear the signature of Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur because when they were printed in June, he was the governor of the bank, having served from 1 October 2009 to 6 August 2012. Notes to be issued later will however bear the signature of the new governor, as of yet unnamed.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B147b, but new date (1st JULY 2011).

Courtesy of Andrew Roberts.

Tags: Ghana

Like B146b, but new date (1st JULY 2011) and signature (Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur).


Like B148b, but new date (1st JULY 2011) and signature (Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur).

Courtesy of Claudio Marana.

Tags: Ghana

The Ghana chapter of The Banknote Book is now available for individual sale and as a free download to subscribers.

This 25-page catalog covers notes issued by the Bank of Ghana from 1958 to present. Revised 18 April 2016.

Each chapter of The Banknote Book includes detailed descriptions and background information, full-color images, and accurate valuations. The Banknote Book also features:

• Sharp color images of note’s front and back without overlap
• Face value or date of demonetization if no longer legal tender
• Specific identification of all vignette elements
• Security features described in full
• Printer imprint reproduced exactly as on note
• Each date/signature variety assigned an individual letter
• Variety checkboxes for tracking your collection and want list
• Date reproduced exactly as on note
• Precise date of introduction noted when known
• Replacement note information
• Signature tables, often with names and terms of service
• Background information for historical and cultural context
• Details magnified to distinguish between note varieties
• Bibliographic sources listed for further research

Subscribe to The Banknote Book
If you collect the entire world or a large number of countries, buying a subscription is the best deal because it's less expensive than buying chapters individually, and it entitles you to every chapter currently available as well as everything published—or revised (click here to see the Change Log)—during the term of your subscription.


Sign up for Email Notifications
If you would like to receive email notifications whenever a new chapter of The Banknote Book is published, please join the email list.

Tags: Ghana

Today’s challenge is to identify the building which appears on the back of the old 20,000-cedi note of Ghana.

If you can precisely identify the name and location of this building—or have a lead which you think might be useful—please post a comment, preferably including a URL which links to evidence supporting your identification.

This building appears on the back of all of the 20,000-cedi notes from 2002-2006 (Pick 36):

IDENTIFIED: National Theatre of Ghana in Accra.

Courtesy of Frederick Martin.

Tags: Ghana

On early 1-cedi notes dated 6th MARCH 2010, the watermark is Tetteh Quarshie, a cacao pod, and Cornerstones. On later issues with the same date and signature, an electrotype denomination numeral has been added.

Collectors are encouraged to check the other denominations also dated 6th MARCH 2010 to see whether they can confirm any without the electrotype denomination in the watermark, or if this variety appears on the 1-cedi notes only.

In addition to the different watermark, there’s also a change in the brown underprint bar to the left of the words BANK OF GHANA on the front of the note. On the earlier 2010 notes, the bar is ragged with ill-defined edges, but on later 2010 notes, the bar has straight edges, as on the 2007 notes.

Courtesy of Andrew Roberts and Ricardo Castedo.

Tags: Ghana

Like B149a, but new date (6th MARCH 2010), new signature (Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur), and electrotype denomination added to the watermark.

Courtesy of Andrew Roberts.

Tags: Ghana

Like B146a, but new date (6th MARCH 2010), new signature (Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur), and electrotype denomination added to the watermark.

Courtesy of Claudio Marana.

Tags: Ghana

Like B147a, but new date (6th MARCH 2010), new signature (Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur), and electrotype denomination added to the watermark.

Courtesy of Claudio Marana.

Tags: Ghana

Check out this interesting article on Ghana Business News.

Tags: Ghana

I am working on a new catalog of world notes and I need all the help I can get. If you have any of the notes listed below, please email 300-dpi, 100% actual size, 24-bit color scans of the front and back of these notes, saved as uncompressed JPEG, BMP, or TIFF. Please download and follow these detailed scanning instructions.

I am looking for 300-dpi images of the following banknotes of British West Africa:

P3 issued or specimen
P4 with Arabic text on back
P5 with blank back
P6 issued note, not specimen
P7 dated 2ND JANUARY, 1930, 21ST JULY, 1930, 10TH DECEMBER, 1943, 29TH NOVEMBER, 1948, and 28TH JULY, 1950
P8 dated December, 1947
P11 dated 31ST MARCH 1953

As a contributor, you will receive the satisfaction of taking part in creating something of excellence, your note will be immortalized as the plate note for the catalog, plus your name will appear in the Acknowledgements along with your email address or URL, if you wish.

Thanks in advance for everyone's cooperation!

Tags: British West Africa, Nigeria, Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone

Like B145b, but electrotype denomination added to the watermark.

Courtesy of Claudio Marana.

Tags: Ghana

On 14 May 2010, the Bank of Ghana introduced a new 2-cedi (US$1.40) banknote to meet public need for an intermediary denomination and reduce the frequency, and associated cost, of printing large volumes of the GH¢1 banknote. The bank also acknowledges that the use of a single, identical portrait (The Big Six) on all the five denominations introduced in the July 2007 re-denomination exercise (and the previous ¢10,000 banknote that was withdrawn from circulation in 2007) makes it hard for the public to distinguish between denominations. As such, the bank has chosen to recognize departed national heroes who positively impacted on the lives of Ghanaians, such as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, whose portrait appears on the new 2-cedi note in commemoration of the centenary of his birth. The back of the note depicts the old and new Parliament buildings, signifying Ghana’s deepening democracy.

The introduction of the new coincides with the conclusion of the year-long centenary celebrations of the birth of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, and has the commemorative text “CENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF DR. KWAME NKRUMAH”. Future issues of the GH¢2 banknote are not expected to have this text; making this introductory issue a collector’s item.

Courtesy of Dieter Eheim.

Tags: Ghana

A complete specimen set of Ghana’s current banknote issues (dated 1st July 2007) has been reported and confirmed. These specimens have diagonal red SPECIMEN overprints and all-zero serial numbers.

Courtesy of Leszek Porowski.

Tags: Ghana

Like B131a, but new date (10TH JUNE 1994).

Courtesy of Christof Zellweger.

Tags: Ghana

Like B142b, but new date (4th AUGUST 2006).

Courtesy of Chris Twining.

Tags: Ghana

Like B143b, but new date (4th August 2006).

Courtesy of Andrew Roberts.

Tags: Ghana

Like B144a, but new date (4TH AUGUST 2006).

Courtesy of Marcel Goudbeek (IBNS member 9246).

Tags: Ghana

On 3 May 2007, the Bank of Ghana unveiled the following new family of notes was scheduled for issuance on 1 July 2007.  On the front they all feature the printed date of 1st JULY 2007, an image of Independence Arch, the signature of Governor Dr. Paul Acquah, and a conjoined portrait of the “Big Six:” Kwame Nkrumah, Ebenezer Ako Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Odarkwei Obetsebi-Lamptey, and William Ofori Atta. All of the notes have the following security features: windowed security thread, novel serial numbers, registration device, portrait of Tetteh Quarshie and cocoa pod as wmk, denomination as latent image and intaglio printed in gold ink, and iridescent band.


1 Ghana cedi (US$1.10), June 2007. Red. Front: Freedom and Justice arch in Independence Square; Kwame Nkrumah; Ebenezer Ako Adjei; Edward Akufo-Addo; Joseph Boakye Danquah; Emmanuel Odarkwei Obetsebi-Lamptey; William Ofori Atta. Back: Akosombo Dam. Windowed security thread with demetalized GHANA 1. Watermark: Tetteh Quarshie, cacao pod, and Cornerstones. Printer: Unknown. 137 x 65 mm.


5 Ghana cedis (US$5.40), June 2007. Blue. Front: Freedom and Justice arch in Independence Square; Kwame Nkrumah; Ebenezer Ako Adjei; Edward Akufo-Addo; Joseph Boakye Danquah; Emmanuel Odarkwei Obetsebi-Lamptey; William Ofori Atta. Back: University of Ghana; tower; buildings; sculpture. Windowed security thread with demetalized GHANA 5. Watermark: Tetteh Quarshie, cacao pod, and Cornerstones. Printer: Unknown. 141 x 68 mm.


10 Ghana cedis (US$10.80), June 2007. Green. Front: Freedom and Justice arch in Independence Square; Kwame Nkrumah; Ebenezer Ako Adjei; Edward Akufo-Addo; Joseph Boakye Danquah; Emmanuel Odarkwei Obetsebi-Lamptey; William Ofori Atta. Back: Bank of Ghana headquarters buildings. Holographic patch. Windowed security thread with demetalized GHANA 10. Watermark: Tetteh Quarshie, cacao pod, and Cornerstones. Printer: Unknown. 145 x 71 mm.


20 Ghana cedis (US$21.55), June 2007. Purple. Front: Freedom and Justice arch in Independence Square; Kwame Nkrumah; Ebenezer Ako Adjei; Edward Akufo-Addo; Joseph Boakye Danquah; Emmanuel Odarkwei Obetsebi-Lamptey; William Ofori Atta. Back: Supreme Court building. Holographic patch. Red-to-green windowed security thread with demetalized GHANA 20. Watermark: Tetteh Quarshie, cacao pod, and Cornerstones. Printer: Unknown. 149 x 74 mm.


50  Ghana cedis (US$53.90), June 2007. Brown. Front: Freedom and Justice arch in Independence Square; Kwame Nkrumah; Ebenezer Ako Adjei; Edward Akufo-Addo; Joseph Boakye Danquah; Emmanuel Odarkwei Obetsebi-Lamptey; William Ofori Atta. Back: Christianborg Castle (seat of government) building. Holographic patch. Red-to-green windowed security thread with demetalized GHANA 50. Watermark: Tetteh Quarshie, cacao pod, and Cornerstones. Printer: Unknown. 153 x 77 mm.

Tags: Ghana

Like B152c, but new signature (Ernest Addison) and new date (4th AUGUST 2017). Prefix CS.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana

Like B151d, but new signature (Ernest Addison) and new date (4th AUGUST 2017). Prefix XU.

Courtesy of Merjim Groen.

Tags: Ghana