Central Bank of Barbados Addresses Circulating Reports of Alleged Counterfeit Barbadian Banknote

The Central Bank of Barbados says it is aware of images and videos circulating on social media purporting to show a counterfeit polymer Barbadian banknote.

In a press release today it states: “While the Bank will never confirm the authenticity of any note without first having physically examined it, some of the security features found on genuine Barbadian polymer notes, such as the transparent window, are visible in the images. Rather than being a counterfeit, the note appears to have been damaged, resulting in the holographic image of the Parliament Buildings, usually found on the $20 denomination, no longer being present. The Bank confirms that to date it has received no fake notes from the 2022 polymer banknote series, but reminds the public that the notes are not impossible to counterfeit”.

The Bank is encouraging people to continue to check their money using the security features incorporated in them.

It states that in addition to the hologram, these features include:

· A transparent window near the bottom of the note

· The note’s denomination appearing in the patterned broken trident on the top right of the note when it is held up to the light

· A raised shape at the back of the note beneath the large denomination numeral. The shape varies depending on the denomination. On the $20, the shape is a circle

· Elements of the note that fluoresce under UV light.

The Bank also wants anyone with a note they suspect to be counterfeit to take it to a commercial bank or to the Central Bank of Barbados. (PR/CM)