Shortly after the unveiling of the 2009 note designs, ornithologist David Wingate complained that the 50-dollar note features a red-billed tropicbird instead of a local white-tailed tropicbird. Bermuda Montetary Authority officials apologized for the error, but said they wouldn’t change the design because they feel the red bill of the larger bird looks better against the pale yellow background than the orange of the local bird. Apparently the BMA changed its mind (or finally issued all of the notes with the incorrect bird).


Original note (left) and revised note (right)

According to a press release dated 1 August 2012, the Bermuda Montetary Authority has issued a new 50-dollar (US$50) note with an updated Longtail bird, an A/1 prefix instead of a Bermuda onion prefix, and a new signature combination (Alan C. Cossar and Gerald Simons). The new note will circulate in parallel with the preceding issue. Both are dated 1 JANUARY 2009.

Listed below are all the signatures on the new A/1 note series (although only the $50 note is in circulation to date):

$100 – Alan Cossar, Darren Johnston
$50 – Alan Cossar, Gerald Simons
$20 – Alan Cossar, Anthony Joaquin
$10 – Alan Cossar, Lynda Milligan-Whyte
$5 – Alan Cossar, Ronald Simmons
$2 – Alan Cossar, Barclay Simmons

Courtesy of Stane Straus.

Tags: Bermuda