Sierra Leone

West African States adopt eco as common currency to be introduced in 2020

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.

Sierra Leone new sig/date (04.10.2018) 5,000-leone note (B127d) confirmed

Sierra_Leone_BSL_5000_leones_2018.10.04_B127d_P32_HZ_871014_fSierra_Leone_BSL_5000_leones_2018.10.04_B127d_P32_HZ_871014_r
Like B127c, but new signatures and new date (4th OCTOBER 2018). Prefix HZ.

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

Sierra Leone new sig/date (04.08.2015) 10,000-leone note (B128c) confirmed

Sierra_Leone_BSL_10000_leones_2015.08.04_B128c_P33_ER_207911_fSierra_Leone_BSL_10000_leones_2015.08.04_B128c_P33_ER_207911_r
Like B128b, but new signatures and new date (4th AUGUST 2015). Prefix ER.

Courtesy of Andrew Roberts.

Sierra Leone new note family reported for 2021 introduction

According to a 14 February 2018 article on Awoko, the Bank of Sierra Leone announced plans to introduce redesigned banknotes in 2021 to celebrate the country's 60th anniversary of independence. The new notes will depict past presidents, including Ahmad Tejan Kabbah on the 5,000-leone note and Ernest Bai Koroma on the 10,000-leone note. No word on whether the bank will continue to produce 1,000- and 2,000-leone denominations, with face values of only US$0.15 and US$0.25, respectively.

Sierra Leone new date (04.08.2013) 2,000-leone note (B126b) confirmed

Sierra_Leone_BSL_2000_leones_2013.08.04_B126b_P31_EM_120976_fSierra_Leone_BSL_2000_leones_2013.08.04_B126b_P31_EM_120976_r
Like B126a, but new date (4th AUGUST 2013). Prefix EM.

Courtesy of Andrew Roberts.

Sierra Leone new sig/date (04.08.2015) 5,000-leone note (B127c) confirmed

Sierra_Leone_BSL_5000_leones_2015.04.27_B127c_P32_GV_887620_fSierra_Leone_BSL_5000_leones_2015.04.27_B127c_P32_GV_887620_r
Like B127b, but new date and new signatures. Prefix GV.

Courtesy of Marco Fragel.

Sierra Leone new date (04.08.2013) 10,000-leone note (B128b) confirmed

Sierra_Leone_BSL_10000_leones_2013.08.04_B128b_P33_EA_416301_f
Sierra_Leone_BSL_10000_leones_2013.08.04_B128b_P33_EA_416301_r
Like B128a, but new date (4th AUGUST 2013). Prefix EA.

Courtesy of Vygandas Kadzys.

Sierra Leone new date (04.08.2013) 5,000-leone note (B127b) confirmed

Sierra_Leone_BSL_5000_leones_2013.08.04_B127b_P32_GC_101301_fSierra_Leone_BSL_5000_leones_2013.08.04_B127b_P32_GC_101301_r
Like B127a, but new date (4th AUGUST 2013). Prefix GC.

Courtesy of Jan De Roeck.

Sierra Leone new date (04.08.2013) 1,000-leone note (B125b) confirmed

Sierra_Leone_BSL_1000_leones_2013.08.04_B125b_P30_DY_997101_f
Like B125a, but new date (4th AUGUST 2013). Prefix DY.

Courtesy of Jan De Roeck.

Sierra Leone new 5,000- and 10,000-leone notes reported

According to an article on Awoko.org dated 23 June 2012, the Bank of Sierra Leone has begun issuing new 5,000- and 10,000-leone (US$1.15 and $2.30, respectively) banknotes to alleviate a currency shortage. The article mentions that there was a delay in receiving these new notes because “the printers require time to inscribe the intricate security features,” but that wasn’t the case with the 1,000-leone notes. This would appear to indicate that there are some changes between these notes and the preceding issues (BSL B25 / P30 - BSL B28 / P33), but there is no word yet on what those differences may be.


Sierra Leone to print notes to alleviate cash shortage

According to an article in Sierra Express Media dated 9 March 2012, the government of Sierra Leone will soon print new banknotes to address the “serious shortage of currency in the country” which is “a result of the intensive economy activities of mining companies that were not taken into consideration when the resized bank notes were about to be printed,” said Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo, Information and Communications Minister.

Given that the Bank of Sierra Leone introduced new, smaller banknotes just two years ago which were printed by De La Rue, it’s likely that Kargbo’s comments simply mean that the bank will purchase additional notes of the same design from DLR, perhaps with new dates and signatures, but not new designs entirely.

Sierra Leone chapter of The Banknote Book is now available


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

This 12-page catalog covers notes issued by the Bank of Sierra Leone from 1964 to present. Revised 22 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.

Subscribe
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.

Sign up

Sierra Leone to withdraw old notes as of 15 August 2011

According to a press release dated 25 February 2011, the Bank of Sierra Leone has postponed until 15 August 2011 the withdrawal of old-style banknotes in favor of the new, smaller notes which were issued 14 May 2010.

British West Africa scans needed for catalog

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!

Sierra Leone resized note family confirmed



1,000 leones (US$0.25). Red and yellow. Front: Coat of arms; carving; Bai Bureh. Back: Telecommunications satellite dish. Windowed security thread with demetalized BSL. Watermark: Lion head and electrotype 1000. Printer: DE LA RUE. 135 x 67 mm. 27th APRIL 2010. Signature 18. Intro: 14.05.2010.


2,000 leones (US$0.50). Blue and orange. Front: Double diamond foil patch; coat of arms; cargo ship and port building; I.T.A. Wallace Johnson. Back: Bank of Sierra Leone building. Windowed security thread with demetalized BSL. Watermark: Lion head and electrotype 2000. Printer: DE LA RUE. 140 x 69 mm. 27th APRIL 2010. Signature 18. Intro: 14.05.2010.


5,000 leones (US$1.25). Blue and purple. Front: Foil patch; coat of arms; building; Sengbe Pieh. Back: Bumbuna Dam. Windowed security thread with demetalized BSL. Watermark: Lion head and electrotype 5000. Printer: DE LA RUE. 145 x 71 mm. 27th APRIL 2010. Signature 18. Intro: 14.05.2010.


10,000 leones (US$2.55). Blue and green. Front: Dove flying over the map of Sierra Leone; national flag; holographic patch. Back: Coat of arms; cotton tree. Windowed security thread with demetalized BSL. Watermark: Lion head and electrotype 10000. Printer: DE LA RUE. 153 x 73 mm. 27th APRIL 2010. Signature 18. Intro: 14.05.2010.

Courtesy of Rui Manuel Palhares.

Sierra Leone new date (04.08.2007) 10,000-leone note (B124b) confirmed

Sierra_Leone_BSL_10000_leones_2007.08.04_B124b_P29_W_140069_fSierra_Leone_BSL_10000_leones_2007.08.04_B124b_P29_W_140069_r
Like B124a, but new date (4th AUGUST 2007) and Cornerstones added to watermark. Prefix W - AE.

Courtesy of Andrew Roberts.

Sierra Leone new date (27.04.1996) 5,000-leone note (B116b) confirmed

Sierra_Leone_BSL_5000_leones_1996.04.27_B116b_P21b_G-20_310192_fSierra_Leone_BSL_5000_leones_1996.04.27_B116b_P21b_G-20_310192_r
Like B116a, but new date (27TH APRIL 1996). Prefix G/17 - G/20.

Courtesy of Christof Zellweger.