Bahamian Dollar

The 1-cent, 5-cents, and 25-cents coins are about the same size and their US counterparts with differences in metal composition. The 10-cents and 15-cents are more exotic, the 10-cents piece having scallop-like smooth ridges on its circumference and the 15-cents piece being square. All coins bear the Bahamian Coat-of-Arms on one side with the words "Commonwealth of The Bahamas" forming a crown around the Coat-of-Arms and the year of issue beneath the Coat-of-Arms. The flip side of the coins show objects from Bahamian culture with the value of the coins in words. The 1-cent has a starfish, the 5-cents a pineapple, the 10-cents two bone-fish, the 15-cents a Hibiscus, and the 25-cents a native sloop.

The dollar has undergone several revisions in the last twenty years, one of the more notable being an extremely colourful redesign in celebration of the quincentanial celebrations of the 'discovery' of The Bahamas (and by extension the west) by Christopher Columbus when he landed on an island he dubbed San Salvador.

All banknotes have been undergoing design changes to foil forgery in recent years although the notes implemented more stringent security long before the US's recent redesign of their notes.

Until a few years ago all notes displayed a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (state figurehead) but notes are now displaying portraits of prominent Bahamian politicians who have passed away. The $1/2 shows an older Queen Elizabeth II and the back shows a picture of Sister Sarah in the Nassau Straw Market, the $1 shows Sir Lynden Pindling and on the back shows the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band., the $3 - young Queen Elizabeth II and on the back shows a Family Island Regatta with native sloops, the $5 - Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfieldand the back shows a Junkanoo group 'rushing' in the Junkanoo parade, the $10 - Sir Roland Symonette, the $20 - Sir Milo Butler, the $50 - Sir Stafford Sands and the back shows the Hope Town Lighthouse and settlement in Abaco, the $100 - an older Queen Elizabeth II and the back shows a jumping blue marlin, national fish of The Bahamas.