The Cayman Islands is a self-governing British overseas territory in the Caribbean Seas. It is a territory that consists of three islands: the Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. The islands are situated 290 km northwest of Jamaica. The Cayman Islands is part of the geographic Western Caribbean Zone and the Greater Antilles.
The Cayman Islands used Jamaican currency. However, on May 1, 1972, the Cayman Islands Currency Board issued the first series of Cayman Island dollar banknotes. The Jamaican dollar remained legal tender in the Cayman Islands until August 31, 1972. On January 1, 1997, the Financial Services Supervision Department and the Cayman Islands Currency Board merged to form the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. From then on, the Monetary Authority has issuing authority for banknotes. Because the Cayman Islands are still part of the United Kingdoms, all of their banknotes are printed by the De La Rue Company. All Cayman dollar banknote series feature different portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on the front side and sceneries and landmarks in the Cayman Islands on the backside. The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority has issued two commemorative 1-dollar banknotes: a 2003 dollar banknote with a special Q prefix to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the islands’ discovery by Christopher Columbus, and a 2018 dollar banknote with the National Day logo issued in 2020 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Cayman Island’s first written constitution.
