Coins of Israel

 

A Brief History of the Formation of the Modern State of Israel

Israel was founded in 1948 as a result of the partition of the British Mandate in Palestine, formed in 1919.

Before World War I, historical Palestine (which, in addition to today's Israel and the Palestinian Authority, also included the territory of modern Jordan) was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire.
Before World War II, the number of Jewish immigrants to Palestine, fleeing persecution in fascist countries, increased significantly. This caused the Arab uprising. It was then that the idea of ​​dividing the territory along national lines was first voiced.
After the war, the contradictions between Arabs and Jews intensified. There were significantly more of both in Palestine, mainly due to immigrants. Jews sought out their kinsmen, bringing with them money and European technology, and Arabs moved from neighboring countries, since, due to the rise of the economy, the standard of living there had risen significantly.

On November 29, 1947, the UN adopted a plan to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish parts, with Jerusalem under UN control. Most Jewish organizations welcomed the plan, but all Arab organizations without exception were sharply opposed.
On May 14, 1948, the People's Administration of the Yishuv (Jewish settlements) proclaimed the independence of the Jewish state, called "Israel" (the names Palestine and Zion were also considered). The next day, Great Britain renounced the Palestinian mandate, not considering it possible to prevent an Arab-Israeli conflict. On the same day, May 15, all the Arab countries surrounding the newly created state declared war on Israel.
After a successful defense in 1948, in March 1949, Israel went on the offensive, significantly increasing its original territory (in particular, capturing the important port of Eilat). On July 18, 1949, a ceasefire agreement was signed.

On May 11, 1949, Israel became a member of the UN.

 

 

Currency of Israel - Monetary systems and coins of regular minting

Palestine pound = 1000 mils (1927-1948)

Palestinian 100 mils

 

Until 1927, the Egyptian pound was used in Palestine. Since the territory of the future Israel was governed by the British, the pound also became an independent monetary unit, but not the British pound (although equal in value to it), but the Palestinian pound. Unlike the prototype, it was immediately decimal. The mils coin was minted at a rate of 1000 per pound, but the largest coin was 100 mils.
The line of denominations was 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 mil, of which 20, 10 and 5 mils were released in two versions each - from copper-nickel alloy and bronze.

On the obverse of all coins, the date in international and Arabic numerals and the inscription "Palestine" in English, Arabic and Hebrew. In the latter case it is "Eretz Israel", that is, not Palestine, but "the land of Israel".
On the reverse is the denomination in international and Arabic numerals and letters, in the same three languages.
The only images found on these coins are an olive branch and a wreath.

More details in the catalog of Palestinian coins.

 

 

Israeli pound = 1000 mils (1948-1951)

Israeli 25 mils

 

After the declaration of independence, the pound remained the monetary unit of Israel, but no longer the Palestinian pound, but the Israeli pound. Banknotes were printed in advance. The denomination was designated both by the English word "pound" and by its Hebrew equivalent, "lira". In fact, this is just another name for the pound, and not only in Hebrew - from the Latin "libra".
Banknotes were available in denominations from 500 mils to 50 pounds, but there was only one coin - 25 mils.

 

 

Israeli Lira = 1000 Pruta (1949-1957)

Israeli 500 prutah

 

In 1949, the change coin was called the prutah. This time, a full line was issued from 1 to 500 prutah (500, 250, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 1). At the same time, 500, 250, 5 and 1 prutah were minted with a "frozen" date of 1949, and the rest of the coins had the current year of issue.
The champion in varieties was the 10 prutah coin - in 8 years, as many as five types were collected.

An interesting feature of the Israeli coin minting - the types (and names) of coins changed regardless of the change of banknotes. The pruta was replaced by mils in 1949, when the first issue of banknotes was still in effect, and continued to circulate after the monetary reform of 1952 and after the next change of banknotes in 1955. The last pruta is dated 1957.

More details in the catalog of Israeli coins 1948-1957.

 

 

Israeli Lira=100 agorot (1960-1979)

Israeli 5 lira

 

In 1959, another series of banknotes was put into circulation in Israel, but new coins appeared only in 1960. The lira was now divided into 100 agorot.
New series of banknotes were issued in 1969 and 1975.

Initially, the line consisted of only 4 denominations - 25, 10, 5 and 1 agora. In 1963, coins were minted in denominations of 1/2 and 1 lira. In 1976-1977, 10 and 5 agorot coins began to be minted from cheaper aluminum instead of aluminum bronze. In 1978, a 5 lira coin appeared.

More details - in the catalog of Israeli coins 1960-1979.

 

 

Israeli Sheqel = 100 agorot (1980-1984)

Israeli 100 sheqels

 

In 1980, it was announced that the Israeli lira would be replaced by the sheqel. Formally, this did not change much, even the banknotes remained the same, they just corrected the name of the currency. In this way, the government wanted to emphasize the continuity of the state of Israel from ancient Judea during the Jewish revolt (66-71) against the Roman Empire. It was then that this coin was minted for the first time.
The coins were completely replaced and, to distinguish them from the previous issue, were called "new agoras". The original line of 1/2 sheqel and 10, 5, 1 agoras was supplemented by a 1 sheqel coin in 1981, in 1982 - 5 and 10 sheqels (and minting of 1 and 5 new agoras ceased), in 1984 - 50 and 100 sheqels (and minting of 1/2 and 1 sheqel ceased). During the same period, the 1, 5, 10 and 50 sheqel notes were supplemented with 100, 500, 1000, 5000 and 10,000 sheqels.

For more information, see the catalog of Israeli coins since 1980.

 

 

New Israeli Sheqel = 100 agorot (since 1985)

10 new sheqels

 

As can be seen from the minting history of the previous period, in four years the largest Israeli coin turned from 1/2 sheqel to 100 sheqels. A denomination was required, which was carried out in 1985. Unlike the 1980 reform, the "new" was now called sheqel, and the new agoras became simply agoras.
Coins of 1 and 1/2 sheqels, 10, 5, 1 agoras were minted. In 1990, a 5 sheqel coin was added, in 1995 - 10 sheqels, in 2008 - 2 sheqels. In 1997, minting of 1 agora ceased, in 2007 - 5 agoras, in 2017 - 10 agoras.

More details - in the catalog of modern coins of Israel.

 

 

Jubilee (commemorative) coins

Commemorative Liras

The first Israeli commemorative coins were issued in 1958 - 1 lira dedicated to Hanukkah (the annual festival of the purification of the Temple) and 5 lira for the 10th anniversary of independence.

Commemorative 1 lira 1958

 

Years of issue of the first commemorative liras of different denominations

• 1958 - 1 lira (Hanukkah) and 5 lira (10th anniversary of Independence)
• 1960 - 20 lira (Theodor Herzl's Centenary)
• 1961 - 1/2 lira (Purim holiday)
• 1962 - 50 and 100 lira (10th anniversary of Chaim Weizmann's death)
• 1967 - 10 lira (Victory in the Six-Day War) war)
• 1973 - 200 lire (25th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence)
• 1974 - 25 and 500 lire (Anniversary of the death of David Ben-Gurion)
• 1978 - 1000 lire (30th anniversary of Independence)
• 1980 - 200 and 5000 lire (Peace Treaty with Egypt and 32nd anniversary of Independence)

 

The series of jubilee coins 1 and 1/2 lira, 25, 10, 5, 1 agora 1973 (25th anniversary of Independence) and 1980 (25 years of the Bank of Israel) were distributed only in sets.

More details - in catalog of commemorative liras.

 

Commemorative Sheqels

Years of issue of the first commemorative sheqels of different denominations

• 1980 - 1 sheqel (Hanukkah - Greek lamp), 25 and 500 sheqels (100 years of Ze'ev Jabotinsky)
• 1981 - 2 and 10 sheqels (33rd anniversary of Independence) 
• 1982 - 1/2 and 5 sheqels (Holy Land Attractions - Qumran Caves)

 

Years of the first commemorative new sheqels of different denominations

• 1986

  • 1/2 new sheqel (Baron Rothschild and Holy Land Attractions - Akko)
  • 1 new sheqel (Israeli Art, Holy Land Attractions - Akko and Hanukkah - Algerian Lamp)
  • 2 new sheqels (3000 years of Jerusalem and Hanukkah - Algerian lamp)
  • 5 new sheqels (Art of Israel, Landmarks of the Holy Land - Akko and Hanukkah - Algerian lamp)
  • 10 new sheqels (Art of Israel)
• 1988
  • 1, 5 and 10 agoras (40th anniversary of Israel)
• 1996
  • 20 new sheqels (Yitzhak Rabin's Death Anniversary)
  • 30 new sheqels (3000 years of Jerusalem)

 

For more details, see the catalogue of commemorative sheqels.

 

 

Annual coin sets

The coins distributed by the Bank of Israel in the annual sets of 1958-1979 differed from the coins of the regular mintage by the presence of the Star of David on the obverse (in different places, depending on the denomination).

25 agorot from the set - the Star of David to the right of the Menorah

 

Since 1994, coins in sets have been distinguished by the presence of a menorah on the reverse.

 

10 agoras from the set - menorah above the denomination

 

For more details, see the coin sets catalogue.

 

All coins of Israel of regular minting on one page