The Bank of Ghana will officially launch a new Heritage Series of Ghana cedi banknotes on November 3, 2026, as the central bank moves to strengthen the security, durability and physical quality of the national currency while retaining the existing notes in circulation.
Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama announced the upgraded series at Bank Square in Accra on Thursday, September 24th, 2026, saying Ghana’s core banknote designs have been in circulation for more than two decades while currency technology and security standards have continued to advance. The new series is themed “The Cedi, Our Future: Secure, Designed to Last.”
According to the Bank of Ghana’s official statement on the Heritage Series, the upgraded notes will combine enhanced security features with improved durability and modern designs reflecting Ghana’s heritage and aspirations. The Bank says the changes are intended to strengthen protection against counterfeiting, extend the usable life of notes and support more efficient currency management.
Currency Refresh Moves Into Launch Phase
The announcement gives formal shape to a currency refresh that had been signalled publicly in August. President John Dramani Mahama said during his Resetting Ghana Tour that the central bank was preparing to update the currency, with the timing and details to be announced by the Bank itself. Earlier reporting noted that the planned refresh was expected to focus on improving banknote security rather than changing the value of the cedi.
Dr Asiama said periodic modernisation had become necessary because the way currency circulates has changed and the technologies used to protect banknotes have become more sophisticated. The Heritage Series will therefore update the physical notes while preserving the cedi as Ghana’s legal currency.
The Governor said the new designs would also provide space to honour national heroes and celebrate Ghana’s heritage, culture and identity. Each denomination, he said, will draw on Ghanaian iconographic elements intended to connect the country’s history with its future.
Existing Notes Remain Legal Tender
The Bank has stressed that the introduction of the Heritage Series does not invalidate the banknotes already in circulation. Existing Ghana cedi notes will remain legal tender and will circulate alongside the upgraded series.
That means households, traders and businesses do not need to rush to banks to exchange their current notes or withdraw them from circulation. The new series is being introduced through co-circulation rather than an immediate withdrawal of the existing banknotes.
The physical redesign should also be separated from movements in the cedi’s foreign-exchange value. Exchange-rate performance continues to depend on market supply and demand, reserves, trade flows, and broader monetary conditions.
A recent news article reported the Bank’s position on allowing limited cedi flexibility within its wider exchange-rate framework, a different issue from the security and durability of the notes themselves.
BoG Targets Costly Currency Abuse
As part of the announcement, Asiama renewed the Bank’s appeal for the public to handle cedi notes carefully. He urged Ghanaians, traders, businesses and financial institutions to stop crumpling, writing on or stapling banknotes and to avoid using them for decorative purposes.
The warning also covered money bouquets, showering and spraying of cash at events. The Governor said proper handling would preserve the quality of banknotes, reduce replacement costs and support more efficient currency management.
That message places the cost of currency replacement alongside the security upgrade. More durable banknotes can remain usable for longer, but their lifespan also depends on how they are handled after entering circulation.
The Bank is therefore pairing the design refresh with a renewed public campaign on protecting the national currency. The central bank’s approach therefore combines two currency-management objectives: improving protection against counterfeiting and extending the useful life of banknotes.
The Governor’s statement focuses on security, durability and continuity, while assuring the public that current notes remain valid. For users, the immediate message is straightforward: normal transactions can continue with existing banknotes as the upgraded series is introduced.
November Launch Sets Next Stage
The Heritage Series will be officially launched at Bank Square in Accra on November 3. BoG has not asked the public to surrender existing notes ahead of that date and has instead urged continued normal use of the currency already in circulation.
For the central bank, the change is part of a wider effort to keep the cedi secure and functional as Ghana’s financial system evolves. Cash remains an important means of payment even as electronic transactions expand rapidly across mobile money, banking applications and instant-payment platforms.
Asiama described the cedi as both an instrument of economic activity and a symbol of Ghana’s economic sovereignty. The November launch will therefore mark the next stage in the currency’s physical modernisation, while the existing notes continue to circulate alongside the Heritage Series.
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