1 Dollar Small and light type, magnetic

Barbados switched to nickel-plated steel for its dollar coinage as part of a broader regional trend away from nickel-brass and cupro-nickel alloys, driven by rising base metal costs in the early 2010s. The magnetic property — confirming the steel core beneath the plating — is the quickest field test to distinguish this type from its predecessors, both of which share the same diameter and general appearance. The KM#14.2b designation marks it as the third distinct compositional variant of a design that has otherwise remained essentially unchanged since the 1970s.