The Bearland Mint has started production of the Series 2026 banknotes, following test runs carried out at the end of last year. On December 31, while printing the New Year’s privy bear issue, the Mint also printed a small batch of test notes using unfinished designs planned for the 2026 series. These were used to check spacing, sizing, and how the layouts behaved on paper before final approval. Today, January 2, the first full run of finalized Series 2026 notes was printed.

This series brings a noticeable change in design. Each denomination now has its own reverse design, replacing the older format where all notes shared the same polar bear and star background with only color and value changed. The new backs make the denominations easier to tell apart and give each note a clearer identity. The notes themselves have been slightly resized, and feature wider borders and smaller text.

The 2026 series also reflects quiet improvements to the Mint’s production process, resulting in more uniform printing and a cleaner overall appearance across the notes.

For this series, the Ƃ100 note is the highest denomination currently approved for printing. No changes to the legal status of earlier Ƃ200 notes have been announced.

The “Meet the Money” page will be updated soon to reflect the new series.