Objectives: A total of eighty (80) Nigerian currency note representing ten (10) each of the various denominations, were screened for the presence of the indicator organism, E coli. Results reveal a prevalence of 30 (37.5%) and of this number, 16 (53.3%) were the 0157:H7 strain. All of these strains were isolated from the lower denominations (₦5-₦200). Antibiotic sensitivity test using the Kirby-bauer standard technique as well as the alkaline lysis technique for plasmid extraction, was

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... . Nine (9) of the pathogenic strains show multidrug resistance. On plasmid isolation and characterization, eight (8) possess plasmids with sizes >1.5kbp likely to be R-plasmids as they lose their resistance to various drugs sequel to plasmid curing experiment. Nigerian currency notes may not only serve as disease vectors but, also a reservoir for bacteria possessing resistance plasmids which could worsen the present drug-resistance burden.