Currencies/Belize cent
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Introduction
The Belize cent is the fractional subunit of the Belize dollar, with one dollar equal to one hundred cents. It has been issued since the country’s transition from British Honduras to Belize in 1973.
History
Cents were first introduced under British Honduras, originally minted in bronze. After independence, Belize continued issuing the cent as part of the Belize dollar system. By 1976, the composition of the 1 cent coin changed to aluminum, reflecting a shift to lighter and less expensive metals. Over time, inflation has reduced the cent’s role in daily commerce, though it remains legal tender.
Coins
Belize issues coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents, alongside the 1 dollar coin. The 1 cent coin, one of the longest-standing, has been struck in various designs and metals: bronze in its earliest form, aluminum after 1976, and later refined types through 2015. The designs typically feature Belize’s coat of arms or symbolic national imagery.
Currency
The cent functions as the minor unit of the Belize dollar and is still used to express fractional values in pricing. However, due to its very low purchasing power, cents—particularly the smallest denominations—are less frequently seen in circulation, with prices often rounded in practice.