Израильский фунт: История валюты (1952–1980)

Currency of Israel between 1952 and 1980

The pound or lira ( Lira Yisra'elit, جنيه إسرائيلي Junayh ʾIsrāʾīlī; abbreviation: IL in Latin, ל"י in Hebrew; code ) was the currency of the State of Israel from 9 June 1952 until 23 February 1980. The Israeli pound replaced the Palestine pound and was initially pegged at par to £1 sterling. It was replaced by the shekel on 24 February 1980, at the rate of IS 1 = IL 10, which was in turn replaced by the new shekel in 1985. Before the new currency was brought in, the Anglo Palestine Bank issued banknotes denominated in Palestine pounds. They were in Hebrew לירה א״י (lira E. Y. i. e. lira Eretz Yisraelit) and Arabic junayh filisṭīnī (جنيه فلسطيني). On 1 May 1951, all the assets and liabilities of the Anglo Palestine Bank were transferred to a new company called Bank Leumi Le Yisrael (Israel National Bank) and the currency name became: lira yisraelit (לירה ישראלית) in Hebrew, junayh ʾisrāʾīlī in Arabic, and Israeli pound in English. The new currency was issued in 1952, and entered circulation on June 9. From 1955, after the Bank of Israel was established and took over the duty of issuing banknotes, only the Hebrew name was used.

The British Mandate of Palestine was created in 1918. In 1927 the Palestine Currency Board, established by the British authorities, and subject to the British Secretary of State for the Colonies, issued the Palestine pound (£P) which was legal tender in Mandate Palestine and Transjordan. £P1 was fixed at exactly £1 sterling. It was divided into 1,000 mils. The Mandate came to an end on 14 May 1948, but the Palestine pound continued in circulation until new currencies replaced it. In Israel, the Palestine pound continued in circulation until the Israeli pound was adopted in 1952. The Israeli pound was subdivided into 1,000 prutot. The Israeli pound retained the Palestine pound's sterling peg. In August 1948, new banknotes were issued by the London based Anglo Palestine Bank, owned by the Jewish Agency. The new coins were the first to bear the new state's name, and the banknotes had "The Anglo Palestine Bank Limited" written on them. While the first coins minted by Israel were still denominated in "mils", the next ones bore the Hebrew name prutah A second series of banknotes was issued after the Anglo Palestine Bank moved its headquarters to Tel Aviv and became the Bank Leumi ( "National Bank"). The peg to sterling was abolished on 1 January 1954, and in 1960, the subdivision of the pound was changed from 1,000 prutot to 100 agorot (singular agora, ). Because lira was a loanword from Latin, a debate emerged in the 1960s over the name of the Israeli currency due to its non Hebrew origins. This resulted in a law ordering the Minister of Finance to change the name from lira to the Hebrew name shekel The law allowed the minister to decide on the date for the change. The law came into effect in February 1980, when the Israeli government introduced the 'Israeli shekel' (now called old Israeli shekel), at a rate of IL 10 = IS 1. On 1 January 1986, the old shekel was replaced by the Israeli new shekel at a ratio of IS1,000:₪1.

Israel's first coins were aluminium 25 mil pieces, dated 1948 and 1949, which were issued in 1949 before the adoption of the pruta. Later in 1949, coins were issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 250 prutah. The coins were conceived, in part, by Israeli graphic designer Otte Wallish. All coins and banknotes issued in Israel before June 1952 were part of the Palestine pound. In 1960, coins were issued denominated in agora. There were 1, 5, 10 and 25 agorot pieces. In 1963, IL  and IL 1 coins were introduced, followed by IL 5 coins in 1978. The IL 5 denomination had previously been used for non circulating commemorative coins, including silver coins with a Hanukkah theme.

+ImageValueDiameter (mm)Mass (g)CompositionObverseReverseDate of issueDate of withdrawal 25 mils 30 3.1—3.8aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%Grape, "Israel" in Hebrew and ArabicValue, olive ornament 06.04.1949 06.09.1950

+ImageValueDiameter (mm)Mass (g)CompositionObverseReverseDate of issueDate of withdrawal1 pruta211.3aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%Anchor, "Israel" in Hebrew and ArabicValue, olive ornament25.10.195022.02.19605 prutot203.2copper 95%, tin 3%, zinc 2%Lyre, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic28.12.195022.02.196010 prutot276.1Amphora, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic04.01.195022.02.196010 prutot24.51.6aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%Amphora, palms, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic18.09.195222.02.196010 prutot24.51.6Amphora, palms, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic27.12.195622.02.196025 prutot19.52.8copper 75%, nickel 25%Grape, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic04.01.195022.02.196050 prutot23.55.6Grape, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic11.05.194922.02.1960100 prutot28.511.3Palm, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic25.05.194922.02.1960100 prutot25.67.3steel 90%, nickel 10%Palm, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic21.04.195522.02.1960250 prutot32.214.1copper 75%, nickel 25%Hordeum, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic11.10.195022.02.1960500 prutot37.125silver 50%, copper 37,5%, nickel 12,5%Three pomegranates, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic22.05.195222.02.1960

+ImageValueDiameter (mm)Mass (g)CompositionObverseReverseDate of issueDate of withdrawal 1 agora 21 1.3aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%Barley, "Israel" in Hebrew and ArabicValue, date 12.05.1960 22.02.1980 5 agorot 17,5 2.31960—1975: copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2%
1976—1979: aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%Three pomegranates, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic 20.10.196022.02.1980 10 agorot 21,5 51960—1977: copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2%
1978—1979: aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%Date palm, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic 06.05.196031.03.1984 25 agorot 25,5 6.5copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2%Lyre, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic 17.03.196022.02.1980IL  24,5 6.8copper 75%, nickel 25%The state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English 12.09.1963 31.03.1984IL 1 27,5 9IL 1 27,5 9Three pomegranates, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and EnglishValue, date, two stars 1967IL 5 30 11,2Lion, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English 21.09.1978

In 1948, the government issued fractional notes for 50 and 100 mils. The Anglo Palestine Bank issued banknotes for 500 mils, 1, 5, 10 and 50 pounds between 1948 and 1951. In 1952, the government issued a second series of fractional notes for 50 and 100 prutah with 250 prutah notes added in 1953. Also in 1952, the "Bank Leumi Le Israel" took over paper money production and issued the same denominations as the Anglo Palestine Bank except that the 500 mils was replaced by a 500 prutah note. The Bank of Israel began note production in 1955, also issuing notes for 500 prutah, IL 1, IL 5, IL 10 and IL 50. In 1968, IL 100 notes were introduced, followed by IL 500 notes in 1975.

ImageValueDimensionsMain ColourDescriptionDate ofObverseReverse issue ceased to be legal tender 500 prutah (IL) 148 × 72 mm Olive green on light blue The denomination in centre and above "Bank Leumi le Israel B. M." all in Hebrew; all surrounded by guilloches. The denomination and "Bank Leumi le Israel B. M." all in Arabic and English; all surrouned by guilloches.9 June 1952 7 February 1961 IL 1 150 × 75 mm Green pink IL 5 155 × 80 mm Red brown IL 10 155 × 80 mm Gray pink IL 50 160 × 85 mm Brown green

ImageValueDimensionsMain ColourDescriptionDate of Obverse Reverse Watermark issue ceased to be legal tender 500 pruta (IL ) 130 × 72 mm Red Ruins of an ancient synagogue at Bir'am in the Upper Galilee. An abstract design. Menorah with an imprint of cyclamen.4 August 1955 31 March 1984 IL 1 135 × 72 mm Blue View of the Upper Galilee. Menorah with an imprint of anemones. 27 October 1955 IL 5 140 × 78 mm Brown Negev landscape with a settlement and farm equipment. Menorah with an imprint of irises. IL 10 150 × 82 mm Green View of the Jezreel Valley depicting settlements and cultivated fields. Menorah with an imprint of tulips. 4 August 1955 IL 50 160 × 87 mm Blue The road to Jerusalem. Menorah with an imprint of oleander. 19 September 1957

ImageValueDimensionsMain ColourDescriptionDate of Obverse Reverse Watermark issue ceased to be legal tender IL  130 × 70 mm Green Pioneer woman soldier holding a basket of oranges against a background of fields. Tomb of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. The profile of the woman.15 October 1959 31 March 1984 IL 1 135 × 75 mm Blue Fisherman carrying fishing gear against a background of a bay. Mosaic from the floor of an ancient synagogue at lssafiya on Mt. Carmel. The profile of the fisherman. IL 5 140 × 78 mm Brown Labourer holding a sledge hammer against a background of an industrial plant. Roaring lion depicted on an ancient Hebrew seal found at Megiddo. The profile of the labourer. IL 10 150 × 82 mm Purple Scientist in a laboratory. Passage from the Book of Isaiah and the Dead Sea Scrolls. The profile of the scientist. IL 50 178 × 93 mm Brown Two young pioneers against a background of an agricultural settlement in the Negev. Menorah from the ancient synagogue of Nirim in the Negev. The profile of the pioneers. 9 December 1960

ImageValueDimensionsMain ColourDescriptionDate of Obverse Reverse Watermark issue ceased to be legal tender IL 5 150 × 75 mm Light blue Portrait of Albert Einstein. The Atomic reactor at Nahal Sorek. Profile of Albert Einstein. 13 January 1972 31 March 1984 IL 10 160 × 82 mm Yellow ivory Portrait of Chaim Nachman Bialik. Bialik's home in Tel Aviv. Profile of Chaim Nachman Bialik. 6 August 1970 IL 50 170 × 84 mm Brown red Portrait of Chaim Weizmann. The Knesset Building in Jerusalem. Profile of Chaim Weizmann. 13 January 1972 IL 100 180 × 90 mm Blue Portrait of Theodor Herzl. The Emblem of the State of Israel surrounded by the emblems of the twelve tribes. Profile of Theodor Herzl. 27 February 1969

ImageValueDimensionsMain ColourDescriptionDate of Obverse Reverse Watermark issue ceased to be legal tender IL 5 128 × 76 mm Brown Portrait of Henrietta Szold; Hadassah Hospital on Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem. Lion's Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. Profile of Henrietta Szold. 11 March 1976 31 March 1984 IL 10 135 × 76 mm Pink purple Portrait of Moshe Montefiori; the Mishkanot Shaananim quarter in Jerusalem with the windmill. Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. Profile of Moshe Montefiori. 30 January 1975 IL 50 141 × 76 mm Green Portrait of Chaim Weizmann; the Wix Library at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Damascus gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. Profile of Chaim Weizmann. 26 January 1978 IL 100 147 × 76 mm Blue Portrait of Theodor Herzl; the entrance gate to Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem. Zion Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. Profile of Theodor Herzl. 14 March 1975 IL 500 153 × 76 mm Ivory brown Portrait of David Ben Gurion; the library at kibbutz Sde Boker. Golden Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. Profile of David Ben Gurion. 26 May 1977