3 Dollars - Elizabeth II

The $3 denomination was not an eccentric choice for the Bahamas — it was a practical one. Under the old Bahamian pound system, three dollars equated to fifteen shillings, a frequently needed sum that justified its own note rather than forcing transactions into awkward combinations. When the Bahamas converted to decimal currency in 1966, the $3 note had no equivalent and was retired almost immediately, giving this 1965 series a notably short window of legitimate use.

De La Rue printed the full 1965 government series, and the $3 is the denomination collectors most consistently struggle to locate in higher circulated grades — the denomination's utility in everyday transactions meant survivors took heavy handling.