New Cedi Notes: Bank of Ghana Postpones Unveiling, Shares Tips to Spot Counterfeit Currency
- The Bank of Ghana shifted the Heritage Series banknote unveiling from November 3 to November 12, with no official reason given for the change
- The new cedi notes cover all eight existing denominations and feature enhanced security and accessibility measures, including tactile marks for the visually impaired
- Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama confirmed that old and new notes will circulate together, with no deadline set for swapping existing notes
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The Bank of Ghana has pushed back the public unveiling of its Heritage Series cedi banknotes to Thursday, November 12, 2026, shifting from the November 3, 2026 date that Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama first announced at a Monetary Policy Committee press briefing on September 24, 2026.
Source: UGC
The revised date was confirmed by the bank's Director of Currency Management, Dominic Owusu, during a meeting with disability groups in Accra.
Owusu was careful to clarify that November 12 marks when the notes will be shown to the public at Bank Square in Accra, not when they enter general circulation.
No explanation for the change has been offered, and the bank's website had not been updated to reflect the new date as of Wednesday morning.
What is changing With the New Cedi Notes
The Heritage Series covers all eight denominations currently in use: GH¢1, GH¢2, GH¢5, GH¢10, GH¢20, GH¢50, GH¢100 and GH¢200.
The bank has ruled out introducing any note above GH¢200.
Themed "The Cedi, Our Future: Secure, Designed to Last," the redesign replaces banknotes that have been in circulation for over two decades, drawing on Ghanaian iconography and honouring national heroes and culture.
The new notes carry upgraded security features intended to reduce counterfeiting and extend the lifespan of notes in circulation, though the bank has not yet published the specific details of those features.
Notes retain different sizes per denomination to assist visually impaired users, and tactile markings have been strengthened.
The bank is also exploring a mobile application that would scan a note and read its value aloud, as well as a separate app to verify authenticity.
How to spot fakes and protect yourself
With new notes on the way, Owusu urged the public to stay alert and follow four key steps to avoid counterfeit currency and scams:
- Rely only on official information from the Bank of Ghana and disregard social media claims about new, higher-value notes
- Learn the new security features once the bank publishes them, as a public education programme on authentication is planned ahead of circulation
- Bring torn or worn notes to any commercial bank for replacement rather than accepting damaged currency at face value
- Never accept notes without checking them, and wait for the bank's formal guidance on what the genuine Heritage Series notes look like
Asiama has also appealed to Ghanaians to handle notes more carefully, urging people to stop folding, writing on, or stapling banknotes, and to discontinue the practice of spraying money at events or using notes in decorative bouquets.
Old cedi notes remain legal tender
Ghanaians do not need to rush to exchange their current notes.
Asiama reiterated at a forum in Accra on November 3 that existing notes will continue to circulate alongside the Heritage Series until further notice, with no withdrawal deadline in place.
The cost of producing the new series has been budgeted for and will be reflected in the bank's 2026 audited accounts. After the unveiling, the bank plans to invite disability groups to handle and test the notes before they go into general issue.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
