The NBU said whether they will change the 1 and 2 hryvnia coins: what Ukrainians can expect

The National Bank will not change the design of the 1 and 2 hryvnia coins for now, although work on this had been underway before the full-scale war began. At the same time, the NBU has not abandoned the idea entirely and plans to return to it after the situation in the country stabilizes.

This was reported by the Center for Economic Strategy, citing Deputy Governor of the NBU Oleksiy Shaban.

According to him, the question of updating the coin designs arose because of numerous appeals from Ukrainians who complained that the 1 and 2 hryvnia coins are too similar to each other.

For that reason, the National Bank created a special working group and began discussing possible design changes to one or both coins.

Organizations and associations of people with disabilities were also involved in the discussion, drawing attention to the difficulty of distinguishing these coins.

However, after the start of the full-scale war, work on the project was suspended.

Oleksiy Shaban noted that after normalization of the situation, the National Bank plans to return to this issue.

At the same time, the NBU continues to gradually update the cash in circulation. In particular, the regulator is withdrawing 50 and 200 hryvnia banknotes of the 2003–2007 series.

Ukrainians do not need to specially exchange such notes. Once they arrive at banks, they will no longer be returned to circulation but will be transferred to the National Bank for counting and destruction. Instead, banknotes of the same denominations of the modern series will be used.

The NBU explains that this will improve the quality of cash in circulation and gradually leave only next‑generation banknotes in circulation.