New GH¢1 Note in Hot Water Again Market Scene Reportedly Copied from Zimbabwean Photographer

The new Ghana Heritage Series GH¢1 banknote has found itself in the middle of yet another major controversy. This time, the issue is not about a wrong portrait but about the market scene printed on the note. Claims have surfaced online that the image of women selling in the market was “inspired” or “copied” from a photograph taken by a Zimbabwean photographer. According to reports, the original photo was supposedly taken at Makola Market here in Ghana. The allegation has sparked fresh conversations online, with many Ghanaians asking how the Bank of Ghana could have allowed such a thing to happen.

When the claims first appeared, some people quickly came to the defense of the central bank. They argued that the original photo was actually generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Even Meta, the company that owns Instagram and Facebook, seemed to support that idea. But one social media user decided to dig deeper to find out the truth. In a detailed post, the user explained that they actually hoped the photo was AI-generated because that would have been an easier explanation. However, after running the image through trusted AI-verification platforms, the results told a different story.

The user revealed that one AI-detection platform returned a result with high confidence that the image was created by a human. Another platform said none of its AI-detection models could spot any trace of artificial generation, even though it would not fully conclude that the image was human-made. To make matters more interesting, the user pointed out that the Zimbabwean photographer, Esther Bosha, had date stamps on her 2021 posts showing when she took the picture. The user also noted that the photographer has since joined Emirates airline as a crew member, and the account that was tagged in the original post is no longer active.

This latest twist has left many Ghanaians frustrated and disappointed. The new Heritage Series notes were supposed to be a proud moment for the country, celebrating Ghana’s heroes and culture. Instead, the notes have been hit by one controversy after another. First, there was the GH¢50 note issue, where a family member claimed the image was not Theodosia Okoh but Dr. Letitia Obeng. Now, the GH¢1 note is being accused of using a foreign photographer’s work without permission. For many, this is beginning to look like a pattern of carelessness.

The social media user who investigated the matter made their feelings clear, saying that on the back of what appears to be a gaffe with the GH¢50 note, this new revelation “doesn’t look good” for the Bank of Ghana. The central bank has not yet officially responded to the latest claims about the GH¢1 note. But with public trust already shaken, Ghanaians are waiting to see how the Bank of Ghana will handle this new challenge. Whether the image was copied, inspired, or AI-generated, the Bank will need to provide clear answers to restore confidence in the country’s new currency.