Barbados Banknotes 50 Dollars banknote 2013 Errol Barrow
Central Bank of Barbados
Obverse: Portrait of the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow (1920 – 1987) was a Caribbean statesman and the first Prime Minister of Barbados; Raised dot to help the blind identify the denomination. Five dots equal $50; The Coat of Arms of Barbados; The map of Barbados with the location of the capital city, Bridgetown, highlighted; The official launch date of the series, 2 May 2013; The signature of the Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Dr. DeLisle Worrell.
Reverse: Statue of the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, Independence Square, Barbados.
Standing high above Independence Square is a statue of the Right Honourable Errol Walton Barrow, who is also known to Barbadians as the Father of Independence. The Errol Barrow Statue was sculpted by St. Lucian sculptor Ricky George and is an impressive 9ft tall bronze statue which weighs approximately two thousand (2000) pounds. Majestic in appearance, it stands commandingly at the southern end of Independence Square in the capital city of Bridgetown, where it overshadows an area that was once one of Barrow's favourite political platforms.
Broken Trident: The white areas of the broken trident become tinted with orange when the note is held up to the light. Viewed from the back of the note, the missing areas of the broken trident are filled in.
Colour-Shifting Thread: Wide bars that weave in and out of the paper change colour from red to green when the note is tilted. When the note is held up, the bars become an uninterrupted line that reads “CBB 50”.
Hidden Number: The number “50” appears on the top right of the note when the note is tilted at certain angles.
UV Reactive Ink: The broken trident and the waves behind the map of Barbados glow yellow and green under UV light.
Fluorescent Fibres: Invisible fibres embedded in the paper glow under UV light.
Hologram: When the note is tilted, the pelican on the hologram shifts, and the other images - Pride of Barbados flowers, broken tridents and the number “50” – appear and disappear.
Barbados banknotes - Barbados paper money
02.05.2013 Issue
2 Dollars 5 Dollars 10 Dollars 20 Dollars 50 Dollars 100 Dollars
Errol Barrow
The Right Excellent Errol Barrow (1920-1987) is perhaps the most beloved of all Barbadian statesmen.
A lawyer by profession, he entered the political arena in 1951, when he joined the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) and immediately won a seat in the House of Assembly. Four years later, he left the BLP and formed the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
He contested the 1961 general elections as leader of the DLP and became Premier, a position he held until 1966, when he led Barbados to independence from Great Britain. He then became the nation’s first Prime Minister and led the nation until 1976.
During his first 15 years as leader of Barbados, Barrow achieved many social reforms and national advances:
- Free secondary and tertiary education.
- Introduction of a National Insurance and Social Security.
- Establishment of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies.
- Establishment of the Barbados Community College.
- Launching of the Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA), the forerunner to CARICOM.
- Improved health services.
- Improved school meals services.
In 1967, he received the Head of State Award for “outstanding service to the country” from Lions International.
In 1976, the DLP lost the general elections and Barrow became leader of the opposition. Ten years later, the party was returned to power and Barrow once again became Prime Minister. The Right Excellent Errol Barrow died in office the following year on June 1, 1987.
January 21, his birthday, is a national holiday, and he is one of Barbados’ 10 National Heroes.