The amount of Bermuda currency that will be in circulation this holiday period is up by more than $6 million over the previous year.

The Bermuda Monetary Authority said yesterday that $100.8 million of Bermuda currency in notes and coins will be circulating over the holiday season. This is the equivalent of about $1,550 for every man, woman and child on the Island and a 6.87 percent increase over last year, when there was $94.3 million in circulation.

The total amount of notes and coins issued to the banks by the Bermuda Monetary Authority between the traditional pre-holiday period of December 1-23 this year is $7.3 million This compares with a figure of BD $4.4 million during the same period last year.

Christmas is traditionally a period when the figure for notes and coin in circulation rises. The BMA said that this seasonal peak is normally very quickly reversed after the holiday.