The woman on the Honduras 200 Lempiras 2026 note is Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores, also written Bertha Isabel Cáceres Flores on the banknote. She was a Honduran Lenca indigenous leader, environmental activist and 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize winner, remembered for defending the Gualcarque River and Lenca territorial rights.
This turquoise 200 lempiras note became one of the most talked-about modern Honduran banknotes because it placed a woman, an indigenous leader and an environmental defender at the centre of national currency. In numismatic terms, it is not just another new note. It is a small sheet of cotton paper carrying a national argument, a memorial and a political weather system.
Quick answer
Who is on the Honduras 200 Lempiras 2026 note? The portrait shows Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores, a Honduran Lenca environmental activist and indigenous rights defender. The reverse shows La Esperanza, Intibucá, her hometown, together with her famous message: “¡Despertemos humanidad! ¡Ya no hay tiempo!”
Quick Facts
- Country: Honduras
- Denomination: 200 Lempiras
- Currency code: HNL
- Person featured: Berta / Bertha Isabel Cáceres Flores
- Theme: Environmental defence, indigenous rights and national memory
- Issue year: 2026
- Reported release: 20 January 2026
- Printed date on note: 9 November 2023
- Printer: Crane Currency Malta Limited
- Print run: 20,000,000 notes
- Material: 100% cotton fibre paper
- Dimensions: 156 × 67 mm
- Dominant colour: Light aqua / turquoise blue
- Obverse: Berta Cáceres portrait, Lenca-inspired patterns and security elements
- Reverse: La Esperanza, Intibucá and Cáceres quote
- Security features: Windowed thread, OVI denomination, watermark, tactile marks, UV elements
- Collector theme: First woman on Honduran currency, environmental activism, indigenous heritage
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Who Is the Woman on the Honduras 200 Lempiras Note?
The woman on the Honduras 200 Lempiras 2026 note is Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores, commonly known as Berta Cáceres. On the note, her name appears as Bertha Isabel Cáceres Flores, which explains why collectors and news sources may use both Berta and Bertha when describing the same banknote.
Cáceres was a Lenca indigenous leader, feminist and environmental defender from La Esperanza, Intibucá. She co-founded COPINH, the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras, and became internationally known for opposing the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project on the Gualcarque River.
For searchers asking “who is on the Honduras 200 lempiras note?”, the answer is therefore direct: Berta Cáceres, the Honduran Lenca environmental activist and Goldman Environmental Prize winner.
Why Is Berta Cáceres on the 200 Lempiras Note?
Berta Cáceres appears on the note because Honduras chose to recognise her as a national figure connected to environmental defence, indigenous rights and civic resistance. Her inclusion also marks a historic change in Honduran currency design: she is widely described as the first woman to appear on the country’s national currency.
That is why this banknote carries more symbolic weight than its modest face value suggests. It is not merely a payment instrument. It is a portrait of a country trying to decide which stories deserve to travel through markets, buses, shops and pockets.
Important note: some sources use “Berta Cáceres” while the note itself uses “Bertha Isabel Cáceres Flores”. Both refer to the same person.
Release Status: Is the Berta Cáceres 200 Lempiras Still Circulating?
The note was reported as released on 20 January 2026, with a printed date of 9 November 2023. It was presented as a new 200 lempiras design honouring Berta Cáceres and circulating alongside the earlier 2021 bicentennial 200 lempiras issue.
However, later reports suggest the Berta Cáceres design may have been treated as a commemorative issue and discontinued or withdrawn after a short period. Because this point is politically sensitive and not always clearly documented in central-bank-facing sources, collectors should describe the status carefully: issued or reported in 2026, but with later circulation status requiring verification.
For collectors, that uncertainty is not a bug. It is the entire plot. A banknote that appears, makes history, and then possibly vanishes faster than expected tends to grow tentacles in the collector market.
Honduras 200 Lempiras 2026 Design
The 2026 Honduras 200 Lempiras note uses a light aqua or turquoise palette. The colour gives the note a clean, modern look, while the portrait and landscape elements make it unmistakably political, cultural and environmental.
Obverse design
- Portrait: Berta / Bertha Isabel Cáceres Flores appears prominently on the front.
- Name panel: the note identifies her as “Bertha Isabel Cáceres Flores”.
- Lenca-inspired design: coloured geometric patterns evoke indigenous textile traditions.
- Environmental setting: the background connects her portrait to the natural landscape she defended.
- Denomination: the value “200 Lempiras” appears clearly for circulation use.
- Security thread: vertical windowed security elements appear across the design.
- Printed date: the note carries the date 9 November 2023.
Reverse design
- Main scene: La Esperanza, Intibucá, the city associated with Cáceres’s life and legacy.
- Quote: “¡Despertemos humanidad! ¡Ya no hay tiempo!”
- Denomination: large “200” numerals and “Doscientos Lempiras”.
- Issuer: Banco Central de Honduras / República de Honduras.
- Symbolic contrast: the front presents the activist; the back presents place, memory and warning.
Collector detail: the reverse quote translates roughly as “Wake up, humanity! There is no more time!” It is not exactly the sort of slogan one expects to meet while buying bread, which is precisely why the note is so memorable.
What Does the Reverse Show?
The reverse shows La Esperanza, Intibucá, the Honduran city closely associated with Berta Cáceres. The choice is not decorative filler. It anchors the banknote in a real place rather than turning Cáceres into a floating portrait detached from geography.
The combination of La Esperanza and the quote above it gives the reverse a strong narrative function. One side shows the person. The other shows the landscape of memory and a warning that sounds less like a polite inscription and more like a siren in a government office.
Security Features of the Honduras 200 Lempiras 2026 Note
The note includes a modern set of security features intended for both everyday authentication and collector examination. These are useful details for buyers, sellers and anyone trying to distinguish a genuine example from a suspiciously enthusiastic photocopy.
- Windowed security thread: visible vertical windows cross the note and help confirm authenticity.
- Optically variable ink: the denomination area is designed to change appearance when tilted.
- Watermark area: visible when the banknote is held against light.
- See-through register: front and back elements align when viewed through light.
- UV features: hidden elements may appear under ultraviolet light.
- Intaglio printing: raised printing gives important areas a tactile feel.
- Accessibility features: tactile marks help visually impaired users identify the denomination.
How Much Is 200 Honduran Lempiras Worth?
The face value of the note is 200 Honduran lempiras. In international terms, that is a modest circulation denomination, not a high-value note. Its collector appeal does not come from the exchange rate. It comes from theme, controversy, design and historical firsts.
Fresh uncirculated examples may sell above face value because collectors outside Honduras often pay for availability, shipping, dealer margin and condition. The most interesting examples are likely to be crisp UNC notes, early serial numbers, unusual serial numbers and authenticated pieces if third-party grading starts to appear.
| Type of example | Collector interest |
|---|---|
| Circulated note | Mainly face-value or souvenir interest, depending on availability. |
| Standard UNC note | Best entry point for world banknote collectors. |
| Low serial number | Potential premium if the number is genuinely early and documented. |
| Radar, ladder or fancy serial | Potential premium for serial-number collectors. |
| Certified high grade | May appeal to modern commemorative and thematic collectors. |
Collector prices can change quickly for recently issued notes. Treat any early asking price as a market signal, not a final value carved into granite by a numismatic deity.
Why Collectors Care About This Note
The 2026 Honduras 200 Lempiras note sits at the intersection of several collecting themes. It is modern, visually attractive, politically loaded and attached to a globally recognised environmental figure.
- First woman theme: important for collectors of women on banknotes.
- Environmental theme: linked to river protection and anti-dam activism.
- Indigenous heritage: connected to Lenca identity and territorial rights.
- Modern issue: easy to understand and accessible for new collectors.
- Possible short circulation: if confirmed, this could increase long-term interest.
- Strong visual identity: turquoise colour, portrait, quote and landscape make it instantly recognisable.
Berta Cáceres and the Goldman Environmental Prize
Berta Cáceres received the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015 for her role in the campaign against the Agua Zarca Dam project on the Gualcarque River. Her campaign became internationally known because it connected indigenous rights, water protection and resistance to large infrastructure projects.
This matters for the banknote because it explains why the design is not merely biographical. The imagery points to water, territory, indigenous rights and environmental conflict. In other words, the note does not just ask “who was she?” It asks “what did she fight for?”
Do Not Confuse It with the Earlier 200 Lempiras Note
Honduras already had an earlier 200 lempiras banknote connected to the bicentennial of independence. That earlier design is different from the Berta Cáceres issue.
| Design | Main theme | Collector note |
|---|---|---|
| Earlier 200 Lempiras | Bicentennial and national symbols | Important as the original 200 lempiras circulation design. |
| 2026 Berta Cáceres 200 Lempiras | Environmental activism, indigenous rights and La Esperanza | Important for first-woman and modern commemorative themes. |
Honduras 200 Lempiras 2026 FAQ
Who is the woman on the Honduras 200 Lempiras 2026 note?
The woman is Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores, also written Bertha Isabel Cáceres Flores on the note. She was a Honduran Lenca environmental activist and indigenous rights defender.
Why is Berta Cáceres on Honduran currency?
She is featured because of her national and international recognition as an environmental defender, indigenous leader and symbol of civic resistance.
Is Berta Cáceres the first woman on Honduran currency?
She is widely described as the first woman to appear on Honduran national currency, making the note especially significant for thematic collectors.
What is shown on the back of the Honduras 200 Lempiras 2026 note?
The reverse shows La Esperanza, Intibucá, together with Cáceres’s message: “¡Despertemos humanidad! ¡Ya no hay tiempo!”
When was the Honduras 200 Lempiras Berta Cáceres note released?
It was reported as released on 20 January 2026, while the printed date on the note is 9 November 2023.
Is the Berta Cáceres 200 Lempiras note still in circulation?
Its release was reported in 2026, but later reports suggest the design may have been treated as commemorative and discontinued after a short period. Collectors should verify current circulation status through official and specialist sources.
How much is the Honduras 200 Lempiras 2026 note worth?
Circulated examples are tied to face value, while UNC examples may sell for more because of international availability, condition, serial numbers and the note’s first-woman theme.
What colour is the Honduras 200 Lempiras Berta Cáceres note?
The note is mainly light aqua or turquoise blue.
