To the accompaniment of a multimedia publicity blitz, the Central Bank of the Bahamas announced on Sept. 26 the release two days later of the first issue, a $10 note, in its newest series of bank notes, the CRISP Evolution family.

The 156-millimeter by 67-millimeter note is mainly blue in color, with shades of green and pink. 

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The face has a portrait of Sir Stafford Sands, the former finance minister who is credited with fathering tourism in the islands. Also on the face is a watermark of Sands with the numeral $10, a replica map of the Bahamas, and the denominational value in words and numbers on the left, with an image of a yellow elder flower in the center. 

The back has a vignette showing the Hope Town Lighthouse and Abaco Island along with two flamingos.

The note is printed by De La Rue.

CRISP stands for “Counterfeit Resistant Integrated Security Product,” and was first used in 2005 with the family of bank notes preceding the new one. John Rolle, governor of the Central Bank of the Bahamas, said, “Given the continued relevance of the acronym, the Bank opted to retain the name CRISP, and is now pleased to introduce the CRISP Evolution family of banknotes to the Bahamian public. We are confident that the public will be able to appreciate the history, innovation, and national symbolism embedded in the new family.” 

The rest of the denominations in the series will be released one at a time.

Sands was also depicted on an earlier Bahamas $10 note and is an interesting choice. In 1967 a Royal Commission of Inquiry reported that he was the recipient of what were described as “consulting fees” from casino interests. He left the Bahamas for Spain, along with enough to sustain himself comfortably. He died in London in 1972.