The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank was established in 1983, replacing the East Caribbean Currency Authority, though coinage under ECCB dating continued from earlier authority issues without interruption — which is why this type carries dates beginning in 1981. The second portrait of Elizabeth II, by Arnold Machin, was used on ECCU coinage well after most Commonwealth nations had moved to the third or fourth effigy, giving the region's circulation coins a notably dated appearance by the late 1990s.
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank was established in 1983, replacing the East Caribbean Currency Authority, though coinage under ECCB dating continued from earlier authority issues without interruption — which is why this type carries dates beginning in 1981. The second portrait of Elizabeth II, by Arnold Machin, was used on ECCU coinage well after most Commonwealth nations had moved to the third or fourth effigy, giving the region's circulation coins a notably dated appearance by the late 1990s.