The designer of the new TT$50 note, Stephen Pond, says the images used, including the picture of the female masquerader in an award-winning costume, represented the “essence” of the country.
Pond, a senior designer with De La Rue, the world’s largest commercial banknote printer, said that in a November 14 interview with the Central Bank’s Charlene Ramdhanie. Ramdhanie said Pond was the person “who worked on our note and ultimately selected the Carnival image that was used and when the “draft” was presented to us, we all just loved it.”
In explaining the process for selection of the image, Pond said it must meet the security requirement for the note and also must be a true representation of the country. “It is about picking the right images for the process and also the one (image) you feel most captures the essence of the country.” Ramdhanie said the bank “was part of the design process in other ways, but Stephen selected the image.” And the bank yesterday expressed its disappointment over the public discontent on social networks over its redesigned $50 note. In a statement, the bank said while it respects freedom of speech, “it is deeply disappointed by the few, who are twisting the use of this beautiful Carnival image, that reflects an element of our cultural beauty as a country.”
Some citizens have used social networks to describe the picture of the female masquerader in an award-winning costume as depicting a Hindu image, a serpent queen and even the devil.
The bank said however: “All feedback from our public outreach sessions and online survey have been 99 per cent positive. But a video expressing concern about the note was posted on Facebook and has gone viral with many people going on social media condemning those who have spoken out against the redesigned note.
Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Dr Lincoln Douglas and Minister in the Finance and the Economy Ministry Rudranath Indarsingh defended the redesigned note at the weekend saying critics were just engaging in acts of divisiveness. De La Rue has been used to design and produce T&T currency over the past 50 years. The firm is based in England.