New Cedi notes to hit the local market on December 1 – BoG announces
New Cedi notes to hit the local market on December 1 – BoG announces
Commerce across Ghana is set for a major currency refresh as the Bank of Ghana (BoG) officially announces that its newly unveiled “Ghana Heritage Series” banknotes will hit the local market on December 1, 2026.
Unveiled at a high-profile launch in Accra on Thursday, 12 November 2026, by President John Dramani Mahama and BoG Governor Johnson Pandit Asiama, the upgraded banknotes are designed to boost transaction efficiency, cut down currency replacement costs, and fortify the market against counterfeiting ahead of the peak December festive trading season.
Addressing business leaders, financial institutions, and market traders, Governor Asiama stressed that the rollout will not disrupt daily trade. Existing cedi notes will continue to circulate alongside the new series as valid legal tender, meaning businesses and consumers do not need to rush to banks to swap their cash.
Instead, commercial banks will gradually phase out worn-out old notes through routine deposits and withdrawals.
“This is a currency upgrade, not a redenomination,” the central bank reiterated, assuring the market that the face value and purchasing power of the cedi remain completely intact.
For retailers, transport operators, and everyday shoppers, the Ghana Heritage Series brings practical improvements to cash handling. Spanning all eight paper denominations, GH¢1, a reintroduced GH¢2, GH¢5, GH¢10, GH¢20, GH¢50, GH¢100, and GH¢200, the notes are printed on reinforced cotton paper built to withstand heavy daily circulation.
Notably, the high-value GH¢200 note has been resized into a more compact dimension to fit standard wallets and cash registers effortlessly.
To protect merchants and consumers from fake currency during high-volume trading periods, the BoG has embedded next-generation security features into the notes, including SPARK LIVE colour-changing magnetic images, upgraded watermarks, and enhanced tactile marks for the visually impaired.
In a move tailored to modern commerce, the central bank also launched the Cedi App, a mobile verification tool enabling shopkeepers and buyers to authenticate notes on the spot.
With festive spending around the corner, the BoG is also calling on the public and event organizers to adopt better cash-handling habits, urging Ghanaians to avoid spraying cash, writing on bills, or folding notes into money bouquets to keep the new notes crisp and reduce the state’s printing expenses.
