Modern Historical Currencies of Israel
| May 1948 to June 1952 | June 1952 – 1960 | 1960–1980 | 1980–1985 | 1st January 1986 – present | |
| Main unit | Palestine Pound | Israeli Pound [IL] or Lira | Shekel [IS] | New Shekel [NIS or ₪ ] | |
| Subunit | 1/1000 = mil | 1/1000 = Pruta | 1/100 = Agora | 1/100 = New Agora | The trailing ‘000s were dropped.1₪ = 100 Agorot 1985–present 1985–prIsraeli Poundesent |
The new Israeli shekel (Hebrew: שֶׁקֶל חָדָשׁ, Romanised: Shekel Hadash, pronounced [ˈʃekel χaˈdaʃ] ⓘ; Arabic: شيكل جديد, Romanised: šēkal jadīd;
Sign: ₪; ISO code: ILS; unofficial abbreviation: NIS), also known as simply the Israeli shekel (Hebrew: שקל ישראלי, Romanised: sheqel yisreʾeli; Arabic: شيكل إسرائيلي, Romanised: šēkal ʾisrāʾīlī),
The new shekel is divided into 100 agorot. The new shekel has been in use since 1 January 1986, when it replaced the hyperinflated old shekel at a ratio of 1000:1.
It is also used as a legal tender in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
All dates on Israeli coins are given in the Hebrew calendar and are written in Hebrew numerals.
See the following notes for guidance.
History
Agora
The name agora refers to the subunits of three distinct Israeli currencies.
- Israeli Pound or Lira
- Old Shekel
- New shekel
This name was used for the first time in 1960, when the Israeli government decided to change the subdivision of the Israeli pound (Hebrew: לירה, lira) from 1,000 prutah to 100 agorot due to the currency’s depreciation.[2] The name was suggested by the Academy of the Hebrew Language, and was borrowed from the Hebrew Bible:
| וְהָיָה כָּל-הַנּוֹתָר בְּבֵיתְךָ יָבוֹא לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לוֹ לַאֲגוֹרַת כֶּסֶף וְכִכַּר-לָחֶם |
“…every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread…….” I Samuel 2:36
The term “piece of silver” appears in Hebrew as “agorat kessef”.
In 1980 the Israeli pound was replaced by the shekel at a rate of IL10 per IS 1. The new subdivision of the shekel was named agora ẖadaša (“new agora”). There were 100 new agorot in 1 shekel.
The high rate of inflation in Israel in the early 1980s forced the Israeli government to change the Israeli currency once again in 1985. The new shekel was introduced at a rate of 1000 S per 1 NS. The name agora was used once again for its subdivision. This time the term “new” was avoided, in order to prevent confusion with the older subdivision (the pre-1980 agora was long since out of circulation). Currently, the term agora refers to the 100th part of the new shekel. There are coins of 10 and 50 agorot, though the 50 agorot coin bears the inscription: “1⁄2 New Shekel”.
The 1 agora coin was withdrawn from circulation on April 1, 1991 by the Bank of Israel,[3] as was the 5 agorot coin on January 1, 2008; in each case the value had shrunk to much less than the cost of production. Cash rounding has since been applied for purchases, such that the total price is now rounded to the nearest multiple of 10 agorot for payment in cash, but to 1 agora for payment by other means like payment cards or cheques.
| Gregorian Year | Hebrew Year (Hebrew) | Hebrew Year (English) | Gregorian Year | Hebrew Year (Hebrew) | Hebrew Year (English) |
| 1947 | תש”ז | 5707 | 1990 | תש”נ | 5750 |
| 1948 | תש”ח | 5708 | 1991 | תשנ”א | 5751 |
| 1949 | תש”ט | 5709 | 1992 | תשנ”ב | 5752 |
| 1950 | תש”י | 5710 | 1993 | תשנ”ג | 5753 |
| 1951 | תשי”א | 5711 | 1994 | תשנ”ד | 5754 |
| 1952 | תשי”ב | 5712 | 1995 | תשנ”ה | 5755 |
| 1953 | תשי”ג | 5713 | 1996 | תשנ”ו | 5756 |
| 1954 | תשי”ד | 5714 | 1997 | תשנ”ז | 5757 |
| 1955 | תשי”ה | 5715 | 1998 | תשנ”ח | 5758 |
| 1956 | תשי”ו | 5716 | 1999 | תשנ”ט | 5759 |
| 1957 | תשי”ז | 5717 | 2000 | תש”ס | 5760 |
| 1958 | תשי”ח | 5718 | 2001 | תשס”א | 5761 |
| 1959 | תשי”ט | 5719 | 2002 | תשס”ב | 5762 |
| 1960 | תש”כ | 5720 | 2003 | תשס”ג | 5763 |
| 1961 | תשכ”א | 5721 | 2004 | תשס”ד | 5764 |
| 1962 | תשכ”ב | 5722 | 2005 | תשס”ה | 5765 |
| 1963 | תשכ”ג | 5723 | 2006 | תשס”ו | 5766 |
| 1964 | תשכ”ד | 5724 | 2007 | תשס”ז | 5767 |
| 1965 | תשכ”ה | 5725 | 2008 | תשס”ח | 5768 |
| 1966 | תשכ”ו | 5726 | 2009 | תשס”ט | 5769 |
| 1967 | תשכ”ז | 5727 | 2010 | תש”ע | 5770 |
| 1968 | תשכ”ח | 5728 | 2011 | תשע”א | 5771 |
| 1969 | תשכ”ט | 5729 | 2012 | תשע”ב | 5772 |
| 1970 | תש”ל | 5730 | 2013 | תשע”ג | 5773 |
| 1971 | תשכ”א | 5731 | 2014 | תשע”ד | 5774 |
| 1972 | תשכ”ב | 5732 | 2015 | תשע”ה | 5775 |
| 1973 | תשכ”ג | 5733 | 2016 | תשע”ו | 5776 |
| 1974 | תשכ”ד | 5734 | 2017 | תשע”ז | 5777 |
| 1975 | תשכ”ה | 5735 | 2018 | תשע”ח | 5778 |
| 1976 | תשכ”ו | 5736 | 2019 | תשע”ט | 5779 |
| 1977 | תשכ”ז | 5737 | 2020 | תש”פ | 5780 |
| 1978 | תשכ”ח | 5738 | 2021 | תשפ”א | 5781 |
| 1979 | תשכ”ט | 5739 | 2022 | תשפ”ב | 5782 |
| 1980 | תש”מ | 5740 | 2023 | תשפ”ג | 5783 |
| 1981 | תשמ”א | 5741 | 2024 | תשפ”ד | 5784 |
| 1982 | תשמ”ב | 5742 | 2025 | תשפ”ה | 5785 |
| 1983 | תשמ”ג | 5743 | |||
| 1984 | תשמ”ד | 5744 | |||
| 1985 | תשמ”ה | 5745 | |||
| 1986 | תשמ”ו | 5746 | |||
| 1987 | תשמ”ז | 5747 | |||
| 1988 | תשמ”ח | 5748 | |||
| 1989 | תשמ”ט | 5749 |
| Letter (Hebrew) | Pronunciation | Name (Transliteration) |
| א | Alef | Alef |
| ב | Bet | Bet |
| ג | Gimel | Gimel |
| ד | Dalet | Dalet |
| ה | Hey | Hey |
| ו | Vav | Vav |
| ז | Zayin | Zayin |
| ח | Chet | Chet |
| ט | Tet | Tet |
| י | Yod | Yod |
| כ / ך | Kaf (final form ך) | Kaf |
| ל | Lamed | Lamed |
| מ / ם | Mem (final form ם) | Mem |
| נ / ן | Nun (final form ן) | Nun |
| ס | Samech | Samech |
| ע | Ayin | Ayin |
| פ / ף | Pe (final form ף) | Pe |
| צ / ץ | Tzadi (final form ץ) | Tzadi |
| ק | Kuf | Kuf |
| ר | Resh | Resh |
| ש | Shin | Shin |
| ת | Tav | Tav |
| Here’s a guide to pronouncing each of the Hebrew letters: | ||
| 1. Alef (א) – Silent, but often carries a vowel sound. | ||
| 2. Bet (בּ) – Pronounced as “B” (with a dot, or dagesh). | ||
| 3. Vet (ב) – Pronounced as “V” (without a dot). | ||
| 4. Gimel (ג) – Pronounced as “G” (as in “go”). | ||
| 5. Dalet (ד) – Pronounced as “D” (as in “day”). | ||
| 6. Hey (ה) – Pronounced as “H” (as in “hello”). | ||
| 7. Vav (ו) – Pronounced as “V” (sometimes “O” or “U” as a vowel). | ||
| 8. Zayin (ז) – Pronounced as “Z” (as in “zebra”). | ||
| 9. Chet (ח) – A guttural “H,” like clearing your throat softly. | ||
| 10. Tet (ט) – Pronounced as “T” (as in “top”). | ||
| 11. Yod (י) – Pronounced as “Y” (as in “yes”). | ||
| 12. Kaf (כּ) – Pronounced as “K” (with a dot). | ||
| 13. Khaf (כ) – A guttural “KH,” like the “ch” in “Bach” (no dot). | ||
| 14. Lamed (ל) – Pronounced as “L” (as in “love”). | ||
| 15. Mem (מ) – Pronounced as “M” (as in “mom”). | ||
| 16. Nun (נ) – Pronounced as “N” (as in “nice”). | ||
| 17. Samech (ס) – Pronounced as “S” (as in “song”). | ||
| 18. Ayin (ע) – Silent or sometimes a very soft guttural sound. | ||
| 19. Pe (פּ) – Pronounced as “P” (with a dot). | ||
| 20. Fe (פ) – Pronounced as “F” (without a dot). | ||
| 21. Tzadi (צ) – Pronounced as “TS” (like in “cats”). | ||
| 22. Kuf (ק) – Pronounced as a “K” but further back in the throat. | ||
| 23. Resh (ר) – A soft “R,” often rolled slightly. | ||
| 24. Shin (שׁ) – Pronounced as “SH” (with a dot on the right). | ||
| 25. Sin (שׂ) – Pronounced as “S” (dot on the left). | ||
| 26. Tav (תּ) – Pronounced as “T” (with a dot). | ||
| 27. Sav (ת) – Pronounced as “S” (without a dot). | ||
A few interesting notes:
- Five letters—Kaf, Mem, Nun, Pe, and Tzadi—have a special final .form (sofit) used when they appear at the end of a word
- Hebrew is written from right to left.
- Vowel sounds in Hebrew are not included in the alphabet but are indicated by diacritical marks called nikkud (נִקּוּד).
In Hebrew, nikkud (נִקּוּד) refers to the system of diacritical marks (dots and dashes) placed above, below, or within letters to indicate vowel sounds, pronunciation, and certain grammatical nuances. Nikkud is especially important when learning Hebrew, as it clarifies how words should be pronounced, since the Hebrew alphabet primarily consists of consonants.
| Here’s an overview of common nikkud symbols and their corresponding vowel sounds: Ignore the ִSymbol | Name | Sound | Example |
| ִ | Chiriq | “ee” (as in “see”) | בִּ (bi) |
| ֵ | Tzeirei | “ey” (as in “they”) | בֵּ (bei) |
| ֱ | Segol | “eh” (as in “bed”) | בֶּ (beh) |
| ַ | Patach | “ah” (short, as in “father”) | בַּ (bah) |
| אָ | Kamatz | “ah” (long, as in “father”) | בָּ (bah) |
| ֹ | Holam | “oh” (as in “boat”) | בֹּ (bo) |
| ֻ | Kubutz / Shuruk | “oo” (as in “boot”) | בֻּ (bu) |
| ֲ | Hataf Patach | Short “ah” sound | חֲ (h’ah) |
| ֱ | Hataf Segol | Short “eh” sound | חֱ (h’eh) |
| ֳ | Hataf Kamatz | Short “o” sound | חֳ (h’oh) |
| ְ | Shva | Silent or quick “e” | בְּ (b’) |
| Key Notes: |
| 1. In modern Hebrew, nikkud is often omitted in everyday writing (such as newspapers and books). Context and familiarity with the language help readers understand the words. |
| 2. Certain nikkud combinations represent diphthongs or unique vowel blends. |
| 3. For beginners, texts with nikkud are invaluable to learning proper pronunciation and avoiding confusion between words spelled identically. |
Israeli Pound – Coins
| Value | Composition | Obverse | Reverse | Issued | W/Drawn | |
 | 1 Agora | aluminium 97%, magnesium 3% | Three ears of barley, “Israel” in Hebrew and Arabic | Value, date | 1/1/1960 | 22/2/1980 |
 | 5 Agorot | 1960 – 1975: copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2%1976 – 1979: aluminium 97%, magnesium 3% | Three pomegranates, “Israel” in Hebrew and Arabic | Value, date | 1/1/1960 | 22/2/1980 |
 | 10 Agorot | 1960 – 1977: copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2%1978 – 1979: aluminium 97%, magnesium 3% | Palm tree, “Israel” in Hebrew and Arabic | Value, date | 1/1/1960 | 22/2/1980 |
 | 25 Agorot | copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2% | Kinnor (lyre-like musical instrument), “Israel” in Hebrew and Arabic | Value, date | 1/1/1960 | 22/2/1980 |
 | IL ½ | copper 75%, nickel 25% | The state emblem, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | Value, date | 12/9/1963 | 31/3/1964 |
Old Israeli Shekel
Old Shekel – Coins
In 1985, coins in denominations of 1 agora, 5 agorot, 10 agorot, ₪1⁄2, and ₪1 were introduced.[13] In 1990, ₪5 coins were introduced,[14] followed by ₪10 coins in 1995.[15] Production of 1 agora pieces ceased in 1990, and they were removed from circulation on 1 April 1991.[citation needed] A ₪2 coin was introduced on 9 December 2007.[16] The 5 agorot coin, last minted in 2007, was removed from circulation on 1 January 2008.[17]
| Value | Composition | Obverse | Reverse | Issued | W/Drawn | |
 | 1 New Agora | aluminium 97%, magnesium 3% | Palm tree, “Israel” in Hebrew and Arabic | Value, date | 24/2/1980 | 4/9/1986 |
 | 5 New Agorot | aluminium 97%, magnesium 3% | The state emblem, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | Value, date | 24/2/1980 | 4/9/1986 |
 | 10 New Agorot | copper 92%, nickel 8% | Three pomegranates, the state emblem, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | Value, date | 24/2/1980 | 4/9/1986 |
 | IS ½ | copper 75%, nickel 25% | Lion, the state emblem, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | Value, date, two stars | 24/2/1980 | 4/9/1986 |
Old Shekel – Notes
New Shekel – Notes The same design but devalued by 1/1000
| OBVERSE | ||
| Maimonides | Levi Eshkol | Golda Meir |
| REVERSE | ||
| Tiberias where Maimonides is buried; ancient stone lamp | Pipe carrying water, symbolizing the National Water Carrier, fields and barren | Picture of Golda Meir in the crowd, in front of the Moscow Choral Synagogue, as she arrived in Moscow as Israel’s ambassador in 1948 |
New Shekel – Notes
Series A
| ₪1 | 1986 – 1995 | ||
| ₪5 | 4/9/1985 – 1995 | Replaced by coins 1/1/1986 | |
| ₪10 | 4/9/1985 – 1995 | ||
| ₪20 | 2/4/1988 – 1/7/2000 | ||
| ₪50 | 7/9/1985 – 1/7/2000 | ||
| ₪100 | 19/8/1986 – 1/7/2000 | ||
| ₪200 | 16/2/1992 – 1/7/2000 |
Series B
| ₪20 | 3/01/1999 | Moshe Sharett | Green | |
| ₪20 | 13/04/2008 | Moshe Sharett | Green | “60 Years of State of Israel (in Red)” |
| ₪50 | 31/10/1999 | Shmuel Yosef Ahnon | Purple | |
| ₪100 | 31/10/1999 | Yitzak Ben-Zvi | Brown | |
| ₪200 | 31/10/1999 | Zalman Shazar | Red | |
| ₪500 | Yitzak Rabin | Blue | Never printed or issued |
| OBVERSE | |||
| Moshe Sharett | Shmuel Yosef Ahnon | Yitzak Ben-Zvi | Zalman Shazar |
| REVERSE | |||
| The original building of Herzliya Gymnasium, Little Tel Aviv in background | Jerusalem skyline, Eastern European shtetl, the setting of many of Agnon’s stories. | Peki’in Synagogue with carob tree and cave; ancient stone lamp | A girl writing at a desk as a symbol of the Compulsory Education Law which was initiated by Shazar, and Hebrew block letters in background |
New Shekel – Coins
In April 2011, it was reported that new coins would be minted that would use less metal and thus lower costs. Counterfeiting would also be harder.[18] The Bank of Israel is considering dropping the word “new” on the planned coins series. If approved, this would be the first replacement of all coins since the introduction of the new shekel coins in September 1985.[19] The coins are minted by the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation (KOMSCO).[3]
In 2022, the Bank of Israel announced a new series of coins featuring updated inscriptions for its coins, with “new shekels” replacing “new sheqalim”. The 5 and 10 new shekel coins will be the first to feature the new inscriptions, and the 10 agorot and 1⁄2 new shekel coins will feature its unit names rendered in Arabic.[20]
| Image | Value | Composition | Obverse | Reverse | Issued | W/Drawn |
 | 1 Agora | Aluminium bronze | Ancient galley, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | Value, date | 4/9/1985 | 1/4/1991 |
 | 5 Agorot | Aluminium bronze | Replica of a coin from the fourth year of the war of the Jews against Rome depicting a lulav between two etrogim, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | Value, date | 4/9/1985 | 1/1/2008 |
 | 10 Agorot | 6% aluminium | Replica of a coin issued by Antigonus II Mattathias with the seven-branched candelabrum, the state emblem, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | Value, date | 4/9/1985 | Current |
 | 1 | Cupronickel, 75% copper, 25% nickel (1985–1993), Nickel-plated steel (1994–present)[21] | Lily, “Yehud” in ancient Hebrew | Value, date, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | 4/9/1985 | Current |
 | 2 | Nickel-plated steel | Two cornucopia | Value, date, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | 9/12/2007 | Current |
 | 5 | Cupronickel, 75% copper, 25% nickel (1985–1993), Nickel-plated steel (1994–present)[21] | Capital of column | Value, date, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | 2/1/1990 | Current |
 | 10 | Ring: nickel-bonded steel, Center: aureate-bonded bronze | Palm tree with seven leaves and two baskets with dates, the words “for the redemption of Zion” in ancient and modern Hebrew alphabet | Value, date, “Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English | 7/2/1995 | Current |
Series C
OBVERSE REVERSE
| ₪20 | 23rd November 2017 | Rachel Bluwstein; Palm tree branches in background | Vista of Sea of Galilee; Palm trees in the background | Red |
| ₪50 | 16th September 2014 | Shaul Tchernichovsky; Citrus tree and fruits in background | Capital of Corinthian column; segment from the poem, I Believe | Green |
| ₪100 | 23rd November 2017 | Leah Goldberg: Almond tree blossoms in background | A group of Gazelles | Orange |
| ₪200 | 23rd December 2015 | Nathan Alterman; fall leaves in the background | Moonlit flora; | Blue |