On Monday, January 12, 2026, the St. Helena Government (SHG) announced a January release of a new series of St. Helena pound polymer banknotes, comprising denominations of £5, £10 and £20. The new notes feature a portrait of His Majesty King Charles III and will enter circulation this month, the exact date of issue to be announced. The designs also feature Jonathan the Tortoise (a Seychelles giant tortoise, Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa, whose age is estimated to be 193 as of 2026, making him the oldest known living land animal; Jonathan now resides on the island of Saint Helena) and the St. Helena ebony (Trochetiopsis ebenus, or St. Helena ebony, a critically endangered flowering plant from St. Helena, known for its attractive foliage and white flowers). All three new notes maintain the same color schemes of the paper banknotes they are replacing.

The new polymer notes incorporate these security features:
- Clear Window: A transparent window is integrated into the design, visible from both the front and back.
- Shimmer Effect Tilt: By tilting the banknote, a metallic shimmer appears and moves around the clear window.
- Raised Ink (Portrait): The ink is noticeably thicker and raised, making it tactile.
- Raised Ink (Signatures): The ink feels raised to the touch.
- Tactile Dots: Raised dots (for the visually impaired) allow for easy recognition of the note's denomination. £5 notes have raised dots in the shape of a square, £10 notes triangular and £20 notes circlular.
- Microtext Denomination: The banknote denomination is printed in tiny, sharp text.
- Negative Raised Ink: The microtext ST HELENA GOVERNMENT is printed in negative, raised ink that appears sharp and clear.
- UV Fluorescence (Waves & Denomination): Under a UV light source, fine lines of waves and the banknote denomination appear in two different fluorescent ink colors.
- UV Fluorescence (Block Denomination): Under a UV light source, the denomination number appears in a solid, bright block.
St. Helena paper banknotes remain legal tender and will continue to circulate. The SHG will gradually remove older, damaged notes from circulation as they are returned to the Bank of St. Helena.

 

It is interesting to note that DLR printed the new polymer series for both the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena at the same time as a single order. This provided substantial savings for both governments.

 

 

Donald Ludwig, January 12, 2026