Guatemalan Quetzal

The Guatemalan quetzal is the currency of Guatemala. The banknotes have both a paper banknote and polymer (plastic) banknote series in circulation. The Bank of Guatemala is responsible for issuing the Guatemalan banknotes. The quetzal is named after a bird species found in throughout Guatemala. The Mayans originally used the feathers of this bird as their currency, however Spanish colonization ended this practice and implemented an official currency system.