Product Description:
Few banknotes in the world serve as many nations simultaneously as the Eastern Caribbean dollar — and this $5 note, issued by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and bearing the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, is one of the most visually rich and geographically extraordinary pieces of currency ever produced. A single note, shared by eight sovereign and dependent territories scattered across the Lesser Antilles — from Anguilla in the north to Grenada in the south — this is a bill that crossed island shores, fishing villages, market stalls, and resort towns across one of the most beautiful regions on earth. The reverse tells that story explicitly, mapping every member nation of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union against a backdrop of lush tropical scenery. Housed in a protective rigid currency holder and elegantly presented within a handsome wood display frame with a black matted backdrop, this note arrives ready to display.
(PSV 10)
Highlights:
- Issued by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank — one of the world's few truly multi-national currency unions
- Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II — the mature effigy used across Commonwealth currencies
- Reverse features a map of all ECCU member nations, Admiral's House (Antigua & Barbuda), and Trafalgar Falls (Dominica)
- Marine wildlife imagery — sea turtle and tropical fish — celebrating the Caribbean's extraordinary biodiversity
- Serial number AX375734 — the exact note pictured
- Signed by Governor K. Dwight Venner — a legendary figure in Caribbean monetary history
- Still legal tender across ECCU member states
- Beautifully framed and ready for display
Banknote Information:
- Issuing Authority: Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB)
- Denomination: Five Eastern Caribbean Dollars (XCD)
- Serial Number: AX375734
- Governor Signature: K. Dwight Venner
- Member Territories: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
- Pick Number: P-31 series
- Legal Tender Status: Legal tender across all ECCU member states
Design Details:
Obverse: The right side of the note is anchored by a warm, detailed portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in her mature effigy — wearing the Diamond Diadem and pearl jewelry, rendered in rich green and multicolor intaglio. "EASTERN CARIBBEAN / CENTRAL BANK" runs across the top in bold lettering, with "FIVE / DOLLARS" in prominent red and green text at center. The legal tender declaration — "THESE NOTES ARE LEGAL TENDER FOR THE PAYMENT OF ANY AMOUNT" — appears below. Serial number AX375734 runs vertically along the left margin and horizontally at lower right. The signature of Governor K. Dwight Venner appears at center left, one of the most respected central bankers in Caribbean history, who served as ECCB Governor from 1989 to 2015. Marine life decorates the lower left — a hawksbill sea turtle and tropical reef fish rendered in fine detail, a nod to the Caribbean's celebrated underwater world.
Reverse: The back of the note is a celebration of the Eastern Caribbean's island geography and natural splendor. At center, a detailed map of the Lesser Antilles identifies each ECCU member territory by name — Anguilla, St. Christopher & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Montserrat, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Grenada — connected by the shared star symbol of the currency union. At left, Admiral's House in Antigua & Barbuda — a graceful colonial-era structure associated with the British naval presence at English Harbour — is rendered in green and yellow. At right, the dramatic Trafalgar Falls of Dominica cascade through a lush tropical forest rendered in vivid greens and blues. "FIVE / $5 / EASTERN CARIBBEAN / DOLLARS / CENTRAL BANK" anchors the bottom of the note in bold layered lettering.
Historical Significance:
The Eastern Caribbean dollar is one of the great quiet success stories of international monetary cooperation. Established in 1965 — before most of its member territories had even achieved full independence — the Eastern Caribbean Currency Authority and its successor the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank created a monetary union that has delivered remarkable stability to some of the smallest and most economically vulnerable nations in the world. The EC dollar has been pegged to the U.S. dollar at a fixed rate of EC$2.70 to US$1.00 since 1976 — one of the longest-running fixed exchange rate arrangements in the world, and a source of price stability and investor confidence that has benefited every island in the union.
Governor K. Dwight Venner, whose signature appears on this note, was the architect of much of that stability. A Vincentian economist and central banker of extraordinary caliber, Venner served as ECCB Governor for over a quarter century, steering the currency union through hurricanes, global financial crises, and the structural vulnerabilities inherent in small island economies that depend heavily on tourism, agriculture, and remittances. His legacy is written into every Eastern Caribbean banknote that passed through the region during his tenure.
Queen Elizabeth II's portrait connects this note to the broader Commonwealth monetary tradition — the same tradition that placed her image on British pounds, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, and dozens of other currencies across the former British Empire. With her passing in September 2022, notes bearing her portrait have taken on new historical weight, representing not merely a denomination but the close of a seventy-year era of Commonwealth monetary history. The Eastern Caribbean dollar continues to circulate, but future issues will carry the portrait of King Charles III — making every Elizabeth-era note a piece of history in its own right.
For collectors of Caribbean currency, Commonwealth banknotes, or world notes, this framed Eastern Caribbean $5 — serial number AX375734, the exact example pictured — captures the beauty, the history, and the remarkable cooperative spirit of one of the world's most distinctive currency unions.
Presentation: Housed in a protective rigid currency holder and elegantly presented within a handsome wood display frame with a black matted backdrop. Ready to hang or display as-is — no additional framing or handling required.
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