The president of Bank of Guatemala (Banguat), Álvaro González Ricci, confirmed in a recent interview with Free press that the institution is preparing a new commemorative ticketwhich will have special security features and will have legal circulation in Guatemala.
The announcement is part of the activities promoted by the central bank during 2026, the year in which three historical dates are commemorated: the 100 years of Central Banking in Guatemalathe 80 years of the Bank of Guatemala and the 70 years of the Civic Center of Guatemala City.
Commemorative coins and banknotes in Guatemala 2026
At the end of April, the Bank of Guatemala announced commemorative coins for the 70 years of the Civic CenterToday is the 80th anniversary of Banguat.
Unlike these coins, which are mainly for collection purposes, the commemorative bills do have legal tenderso they can be used for any commercial transaction.
González Ricci, explained that the issuance of coins and commemorative banknotes also fulfill a cultural and educational function linked to numismatics and the promotion of the country’s monetary history.
Until now, Guatemala has issued only two official commemorative banknotes. The following details when they were released and what were the reasons for their issuance.
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Q20 bill for the Bicentennial of Independence
In August 2021, the Bank of Guatemala presented the Q20 commemorative ticket for the Bicentennial of Independence of Guatemala (1821-2021).
The entity explained at that time that the objective was to exalt the historical values related to national independence and highlighted that it was the first time in the country’s history that a commemorative bill of legal circulation was issued.
The broadcast reached Q500 million.
Q1 ticket for the 100 years of the quetzal
The second emission occurred in September 2024, when the Q1 commemorative ticket for the centenary of the quetzal as the monetary unit of Guatemala.
The Bank of Guatemala reported that the bill began to circulate on September 10, 2024 and that, by October 4 of that year, 14.5 million units had already been placed.
For this edition, they were printed 25 million bills.
This broadcast received recognition “Commemorative ticket of the year in Latin America” during the High Security Printing Latin America 2025 awards.
The third commemorative banknote in preparation
During the interview given to this medium, González Ricci announced that the new banknote will incorporate innovations in terms of security.
“We are going to make another commemorative note soon (…) and we are going to see some special characteristics that we will surely begin to incorporate in the following issues of the notes that we use every day,” said the president of the Bank of Guatemala.
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Although the name and exact date of circulation have not yet been revealed, this would be the third commemorative ticket issued in the country.
The cultural and economic importance of commemorative banknotes
The president of the Bank of Guatemala pointed out that these pieces help disseminate the artistic, historical and economic heritage of the country, in addition to reinforcing confidence in the stability of the quetzal.
He added that the graphic elements included in the banknotes allow communicating historical aspects, national symbols, relevant figures and concepts related to the macroeconomic stability of Guatemala.
The official also highlighted that the quetzal remains one of the most stable currencies in the region, which, he assured, strengthens public confidence in the work of the central bank.