The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has launched new cedi notes, the Heritage Series, which will circulate alongside the old notes from December 1, 2026.
The Heritage Series brings Ghana’s history and cultural identity to life through distinctive designs featuring national heroes, historic sites, monuments and Adinkra symbols for the first time.
The notes come with enhanced security features, improved durability and more portable sizes, designed to reinforce the security of the Cedi and enhance convenience in everyday transactions.
The new series is made of reinforced cotton paper and designed to last longer.
The notes are smaller and easier to handle.
The notes also carry the images of some notable Ghanaians who have contributed to nation building, as well as some historical sites.
Alongside the new notes will come a new Currency Act to replace the outdated Act 242 of 1964, which will make counterfeiting “a very, very, very painful experience.”
Launch
President John Dramani Mahama unveiled the new notes at the Bank Square, the head office of the BoG in Accra yesterday, assisted by Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson P. Asiama, in a colourful ceremony that blended Ghanaian heritage with modern financial innovation.
The ceremony brought together dignitaries, including the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II; the Agbogbomefia of Asogli, Togbe Afede XIV, and the Chairman of the Council of State, Edward Doe Adjaho.
Also in attendance were the Founder and General Overseer of the Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams; the Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu; heads of security services, Members of Parliament, government officials, the diplomatic corps; and representatives of the private sector.
The Bank Square was transformed into a tapestry of heritage and national pride.
A seperewa interlude by Osei Kwame Korankye evoked the Cedi’s journey from cowry shell to modern currency.
Cedi strengthen
Speaking at the unveiling, President Mahama said the strength of the Cedi must be felt in the everyday lives of Ghanaians.
“The strength of our currency must be felt in the everyday lives of our people. I am confident in the Cedi’s future because I am confident in the productive capacity of the Ghanaian people,” he declared.
The President premised that confidence on his government’s $10 billion, four-year New Economy Programme, which anchors the 2027 budget presented to Parliament yesterday.
The plan, he said, was to transform the structure of the economy by producing more of what Ghanaians consume, processing more of what they grow, and earning more from exports.
“Expanding and diversifying our exports can bring in more foreign exchange. Producing more at home can reduce our dependence on imports,” he said, adding that disciplined public finance and credible monetary policy would create conditions for a stronger, more stable Cedi better able to withstand global shocks.
“For the trader, it should mean greater certainty when ordering their next consignment. For the manufacturer, greater confidence when planning production. For the family, greater confidence that income and savings will meet their needs.”
Transition reassurances
With public attention fixed on the changeover, the President moved to calm anxiety, stressing that the new notes would circulate alongside the old.
“The new notes will run side by side the old currency notes.
They are not displacing the old currency notes.
The banks will withdraw the old notes gradually until the new notes take over completely,” he said.
President Mahama traced the origin of the Cedi to the Akan word for the cowry shell, noting that trade in cowries and gold dust predated modern financial institutions.
He drew on the historic gold weight of two crocodiles sharing one stomach.
“Whatever either eats nourishes both of them, so their common survival depends on recognising their shared interests.
That lesson remains relevant in Ghana today,” he said.
He said, “The Cedi passes through countless hands…
It serves Ghanaians working across every region, every faith and political persuasion.
The Cedi knows no political parties.”
He charged the youth to draw strength from the national heroes honoured on the notes, and commended the BoG’s in-house expertise as it approached 70 years of service.
Features
For his part, the Governor of the BoG, Dr Johnson Asiama, said the improvements in the new cedi notes “reinforce the bank’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the currency and ensuring that the public can transact with confidence.”
He revealed that the bank developed the Enterprise Currency Operations Management Software entirely in-house, attracting interest from sister central banks, and announced a Cedi App to help the public, including the visually impaired, learn the notes’ features.
“New cash centres are planned for the bank’s Hohoe and Tamale regional offices,” Dr Asiama stated.
