20 Guyanese Dollar Banknote (Kaieteur Falls)

20 Dollars Guyana Dollar (Issued 1996-2025)

A twenty-dollar note from Guyana would have passed through market stalls in Georgetown, across shop counters in Linden, and between the hands of workers, traders, and travellers navigating daily commerce across one of South America’s most biodiverse nations. Issued as part of the Bank of Guyana’s ascending size series, this note entered circulation in 1996 and has remained a fixture of everyday transactions for nearly three decades. Its modest denomination placed it firmly in the realm of ordinary exchanges — bus fares, small purchases, and routine payments — making it one of the most handled notes in the Guyanese economy. Notes that survived heavy use were gradually replaced, while cleaner examples continued to circulate well into the 2000s and beyond.

On the front, the note is dominated by a palette of muted purples, mauves, and soft pinks, with the denomination “$20” printed prominently in the upper left and upper right corners in bold typography. The text “BANK OF GUYANA” is centred at the top in clear serif capitals, whilst “TWENTY DOLLARS” appears in large, bold lettering across the middle of the note. The central design features the coat of arms of Guyana, rendered in fine engraving detail and framed by two facsimile signatures — one for the Governor and one for the Minister of Finance — with their respective titles printed beneath in small capitals. To the right of centre, a finely engraved vignette depicts Kaieteur Falls, one of the world’s most powerful waterfalls, its cascading waters and surrounding tropical rock face rendered with impressive tonal depth; the label “KAIETEUR FALLS” appears alongside this image. Intricate guilloché rosette patterns occupy the left side of the note, providing an ornate security background in the same purple-mauve tones. The serial number, here reading A/98 302648, appears in the lower left and upper right in dark ink. Along the lower edge runs the legal tender declaration: “THESE NOTES ARE LEGAL TENDER FOR THE PAYMENT OF ANY AMOUNT.” The overall paper has a crisp, slightly textured quality consistent with the series.

The reverse of the note continues in the same brown and purple-toned palette, with “BANK OF GUYANA” printed across the top in bold serif lettering. The central imagery is devoted to industrial and maritime themes that reflect Guyana’s economic heritage. A detailed engraved scene on the left side depicts a shipbuilding yard, labelled “SHIP BUILDING,” showing the interior of a large construction shed with scaffolding, timber framing, and workers visible in the composition. To the right, a second vignette shows the ferry vessel Malali, labelled “FERRY VESSEL, MALALI,” depicted head-on as it approaches or departs a dock, with its superstructure and hull rendered in fine line engraving. Both scenes are framed by sweeping, abstract decorative scroll-work on either side — spiralling, ribbon-like guilloché patterns that add visual complexity and act as an anti-counterfeiting measure. The denomination “$20” appears in the lower left and upper right corners, and “TWENTY DOLLARS” is printed in bold type along the bottom edge. A small printer’s imprint — Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited — is visible in fine print along the lower margin. The composition balances industrial realism with decorative formality in a manner characteristic of De La Rue’s production work for Commonwealth and associated nations during this period.

Exchange foreign coins and notes with no fuss: Webuyallcurrency.com accepts this 20 Dollars Guyana Dollar banknote and other current Guyanese Dollar banknotes, paying out for everything together in a single transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 20 Dollars Guyana Dollar banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Wondering who buys foreign coins and banknotes? Webuyallcurrency.com does — bring your Guyanese Dollar banknotes together with any other old or withdrawn currency and exchange it all for cash in one place.

Other Guyanese Dollar you can exchange: 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000.