The Bahamas released the fourth member of its new bank note family, the CRISP Evolution half dollar note, on Jan. 24.

CRISP stands for Counterfeit Resistant Integrated Security Product.

The new bank note is predominantly gray in color, with shades of green, blue, coral, lilac and red. It is 156 millimeters long and 67 millimeters wide.

The face has a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the series, and the signature of the governor of the Central Bank of the Bahamas. The left side has a watermark of Queen Elizabeth II and $½, a replica map of the islands of the Bahamas, and the denomination again, in words and figures. An image of a strongback flower is in the center. 

The back is printed in a vertical orientation and features a vignette of Sister Sarah in the Nassau Straw Market. The denomination as $½ appears in the upper left and lower right corners, while the words FIFTY CENTS are in the upper right quadrant. Just below the vignette of Sister Sarah is the coat of arms of the commonwealth of the Bahamas.

During the 1970s Sister Sarah Johnson was one of a group of several local artisans that mastered the art of weaving and sponsored younger weavers from neighboring settlements to continue the local tradition. 

When completed, the new series will consist of $½, $1, $3, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes. The Bahamian dollar is at par with its United States counterpart. 

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