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  • 1922 2/6 note withdrawn from circulation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