Jamaica 60 logo to be removed from banknotes, no redesign planned

The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) has addressed recent reports regarding plans to redesign the country’s polymer banknotes.

Contrary to the claims, the BOJ has not initiated any steps to redesign the polymer notes, which were issued in June 2023 following their design and printing in 2022.

However, the central bank has begun consulting with commercial banks on the removal of the “Jamaica 60” logo from the current series of polymer notes.

The Jamaica 60 logo was included in the new banknotes to commemorate the country’s 60th Independence Anniversary in August 2022. This practice of incorporating special anniversary logos on banknotes is not new, as the 50th Independence Anniversary logo was added to banknotes in 2012, the BOJ outlined.

In that instance, all circulation banknotes were modified to feature the 50th Anniversary logo, marking a seamless transition once the special observance had passed.

The BOJ clarified that, like the Jamaica 50 logo, the Jamaica 60 logo is not a security feature of the current banknote series.

“This was communicated to commercial banks in advance, including during technical working group meetings and sensitisation sessions prior to the introduction of the new polymer notes in June 2023.”

The BOJ also provided training to bank staff on identifying the actual security features of the notes, which are used to authenticate them and differentiate denominations. Consequently, ATMs and processing machines should not have been programmed to recognise the Jamaica 60 logo as a security feature.

As the special anniversary observance has now concluded, the BOJ plans to remove the logo from circulation.

However, no specific timeline has been set for the release of notes without the Jamaica 60 logo.

The central bank emphasised that consultations are ongoing, and a timeline will be announced once decisions are made.

It also reassured the public that it continues to ensure a sufficient supply of banknotes to meet demand and will fulfill its obligations for timely order and issuance.