1500’s to 1800’s
- 1509 Spaniards settle Jamaica and introduced copper maravedis
- 1655 British captured Jamaica from the Spaniards but Spanish coins continued to circulate
- 1822 First British coins to be used in Jamaica in denominations of ¼, 1/8, 1/16 dollar. Came to be known as ‘anchor money’ because of the design.
- 1825 British silver and copper coins introduced in general circulation
- 1834 British silver 3d and 11/2d coins introduced into Jamaica
- 1836 First commercial bank, the Bank of Jamaica established
- 1837 Colonial Bank, incorporated in England in 1836, begin operations in Jamaica
- 1839 Planters Bank established and issues bank notes
- 1840 British currency legal tender of Jamaica
- 1848 Planters Bank terminated its operations
- 1864 London and Colonial Bank began operating in Jamaica
- 1864 Bank of Jamaica ceased operations
- 1865 London and Colonial Bank closed
- 1869 First Jamaican coins issued in denominations of penny (1d) and half-penny (1/2d)
- 1880 First Jamaican farthing issued
- 1889 Branch of Bank of Nova Scotia Ltd established in Jamaica
1900’s to 2000’s
- 1900 Bank of Nova Scotia issues bank notes in denominations of £1 and £5 pounds
- 1911 Royal Bank of Canada begins operating in Jamaica
- 1920 First Government of Jamaica banknotes issued in denominations of 2/6,5/- and 10/-
- 1922 2/6 note withdrawn from circulation
- 1925 Colonial Bank incorporated with Barclays Bank
- 1926 Barclays Bank incorporated with the Anglo-Egyptian Bank and the National Bank of South Africa. Group known as Barclays Bank, Dominion, Colonial and Overseas (DCO) Notes issued in the name of Barclays Bank D.C.O.
- 1939 Currency Board established
- 1940 Government of Jamaica issues £1 and £5 notes
- 1954 Private commercial banks prohibited from issuing banknotes
- 1958 Commercial bank notes demonetised
- 1960 Bank of Jamaica (central bank) established
- 1961 Bank of Jamaica began operations. Notes issued in denominations of 5/-, 10/- 1 and £5
- 1962 Jamaica gained independence from Great Britain. No change in notes and coins in circulation.
- 1969 Jamaica changed to a decimal system of currency (8 September) using dollars and cents. Coins issued in denominations of 1c, 5c, 10c , 20c, 25c, Notes issued in denominations of 50c, $1, $2 and $10
- 1970 $5 note introduced
- 1970 Metallic content of 1c changed from copper to bronze
- 1975 New aluminium 1c coins introduced
- 1976 50c note replaced by a coin and $20 note introduced
- 1978 New $10 and $20 introduced. Old notes demonetised
- 1985 Size of notes standardised and blind feature introduced
- 1986 $100 note introduced
- 1988 $50 note introduced
- 1990 $1 note replaced by a coin
- 1991 New 25c and 10c coins introduced
- 1993 Metallic content of $1 coin changed from nickel-brass to brass-plated steel
- 1994 $500 note introduced
- 1994 $5 coin issued to replace $5 note
- 1994 New nickel-plated $1 coin introduced
- 1995 New 25c and 10c coins introduced
- 1995 Old coins (5c, 10c, 20c, 25c, 50c and $1) issued prior to December 1994 demonetised
- 1999 $10 note replaced by a coin
- 2000 $1000 note introduced and $20 note replaced by coin
- 2009 $5000 note introduced
- 2018 Demonetisation of 1c, 10c and 25c coins (February 15, 2018)
- 2023 New series of polymer banknotes – $50, $100, $500, $1000, $2000 and $5000 issued into circulation (June 15, 2023)
