For the Love of Cricket
Source details
- Canonical URL
- For the Love of Cricket
Other formats
Bibliographic details
- Authors: ANALISA R BALA
- Published: December 1, 2022
Design priorities and national identity
- Top priority for the redesign: that the notes be "authentically Barbadian."
- Each note "talks about our history, geography, and culture."
- Portraits of historic Barbadians appear on the new banknotes.
- The top of every note has a small broken trident; when held up to the light it reveals the notes’ denomination. The tridents signify that Barbados "broke away from being a colony and are now independent."
- The banknotes are inscribed with lines from the national anthem: "We write our names on history’s page, with expectations great."
Cricket heritage and Frank Worrell on the $5 note
- Cricket is a central cultural feature in Barbados: "Almost every district that you walk in, you will find people on the road playing cricket."
- Of the 385 men to play test cricket for the West Indies since 1928, 90 are from Barbados.
- Historical cricket milestones cited:
- The West Indies Cricket Board joined the Imperial Cricket Council in 1926.
- The team played its first official international match—called a "test"—in 1928.
- The team set a record streak of 11 consecutive test victories in 1984.
- The Barbadian $5 note features cricket legend Frank Worrell:
- Worrell was one of the "Three W’s" (with Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott), all born in Saint Michael, Barbados.
- He was the first Black man to captain the West Indies cricket team for an entire series.
- Under his leadership the team lost just 3 of the 15 tests.
- He died in 1967 of leukemia at age 42.
- He was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II and was the first sportsman to be honored with a memorial service at Westminster Abbey.
- Design specifics for Worrell on the new series:
- The design is vertical and Worrell is depicted in cricket gear rather than a suit.
- The back of the $5 note shows Worrell at the pitch in front of the "3Ws Oval" on the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies.
Material, security, and visual features
- The new banknote series is the first to be printed on polymer.
- Polymer makes notes more durable than cotton-based banknotes; new security features make them harder to counterfeit.
- Denominations referenced: $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100.
- Security and design features by denomination:
- $2, $5, and $10 notes: a clear plastic window has been added with a vignette of the image featured on the back.
- $20, $50, and $100 notes: the vignettes are reproduced as holograms.
- When all six denominations are grouped together, a map of Barbados is revealed under ultraviolet light (map lines noted as a unique feature).
- The top of every note also includes the small broken trident that reveals denomination when held to light.
Accessibility and tactile features
- Consultation with representatives of the Association for the Blind and Deaf led to tactile marks to help visually impaired or fully blind Barbadians differentiate denominations.
- Tactile marks take the form of a distinct shape per denomination; examples:
- The $5 note has a triangle.
- The $100 note has a square.
F&D Magazine — For the Love of Cricket, ANALISA R. BALA, December 2022.
Content in this bundle
- For the Love of Cricket: Barbados' $5 Banknote