The Bahamian currency is the Bahamian dollar; which is identified by the symbol “BSD”. The Bahamian dollar was created in 1966 following the independence of the islands from Great Britain. The currency has equal value to the American U.S. Dollar. The Bahamian dollar is made up of coins and dollar notes broken down in 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollar bills, with coins’ increments starting at 1, 5, 10, 15, 25, and 50 cents.
Both the US dollar and the Bahamian dollar is accepted interchangeably throughout the Bahamas. So no matter which currency you use, it won’t be of any issue. If you pay with US dollars, you will usually get US change in return. Same for Bahamian dollars; Bahamian change in return.
Since US currency is used as much as Bahamian Dollars in the Bahamas and are of equal value; visitors from the United States do not need to change the dollar for Bahamaian currency. If you are traveling from another nation outside of the United States; it’s best to change your money before you arrive in the Bahamas. If you have a large amount of Bahamian currency toward the end of your Harbour Island trip, it would be wise to exchange what you have left at the local bank located on Dunmore Street before returning home.