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Israeli new sheqel שקל חדש (Hebrew) شيقل جديد (Arabic)
1 sheqel coin
ISO 4217 Code	ILS
User(s)	Israel, The West Bank, Gaza Strip
Inflation	-0.1%
Source	The World Factbook, 2006
Subunit
1/100	agora
Symbol	₪
Plural	sheqalim or shekalim
agora	agorot
Coins	5, 10 agorot, ½, 1, 2, 5, 10 new sheqalim
Banknotes	20, 50, 100, 200 new sheqalim
Central bank	Bank of Israel
Website	www.bankisrael.gov.il

The new sheqel - (Hebrew: שקל חדש, shekel hadash, abbr. NIS; symbol: ₪; also spelled shekel; pl. shqalim or shkalim - שקלים) is the currency of Israel. It replaced the sheqel in 1985 at a rate of 1000 sheqels = 1 new sheqel. The ISO 4217 code is ILS. The new sheqel is divided into 100 agorot (אגורות) (sing. agora, Hebrew: אגורה)

In Hebrew the new sheqel is usually abbreviated to ש"ח (pronounced shaḥ). The symbol for the new sheqel, ₪, is a combination of the first Hebrew letters of the words sheqel (ש) and ḥadash (ח). This symbol, however, proved unpopular, and the two-letter abbreviation is far more common in advertisements and on price tags.

Since January 1, 2003, the NIS has been a freely convertible currency. Since May 7, 2006 sheqel derivative trading has also been available on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.^[1] This makes the sheqel one of only twenty or so world currencies for which there are widely-available currency futures contracts in the foreign exchange market. It is also a Hard Currency, with access available to it in almost any place in the world.

The currency is not produced in Israel, as the country has no mint. Instead banknotes and coins are printed by the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation^{[citation needed]} in South Korea shipped to Israel. Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation has started producing the coins for Israel since 2001 and ships them to Israel.^[2]

Contents 1 Coins 2 Banknotes 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

In 1985, coins in denominations of 1, 5 and 10 agorot, ½ and 1 new sheqel were introduced. In 1990, 5 new shqalim coins were introduced, followed by 10 new shqalim in 1995. Production of 1 agora pieces ceased in 1991. A 2 new shqalim coin was introduced in December 9, 2007.

Circulation coins of the new sheqel are:

New shekel coin series
Value	Technical parameters				Description			Date of
	Diameter	Thickness	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	issue	withdrawal
1 agora	17 mm		2 g	Aluminium bronze 92% copper 6% aluminium 2% nickel	Smooth	Ancient galley, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English	Value, date	September 4, 1985	1991
5 agorot	19.5 mm		3 g		Smooth	Replica of a coin from the fourth year of the war of the Jews against Rome depicting a lulav between two etrogim, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English			Current1, will be withdrawn in 2008
10 agorot	22 mm		4 g		Smooth	Replica of a coin issued by Mattathias Antigonus (37 - 40 B.C.E.) with the seven-branched candelabrum, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English			Current
½ new sheqel	26 mm		6.5 g		Smooth	Lyre, the state emblem	Value, date, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English		Current
1 new sheqel	18 mm		4 g	Cupronickel 75% copper 25% nickel[3]	Smooth	Lily, "Yehud" in ancient Hebrew, the state emblem	Value, date, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English	September 4, 1985	Current
2 new shqalim	21.6 mm	2.3 mm	5.7 g	Nickel bonded steel	Smooth with 4 regions of grooves	Two cornucopia, the state emblem		December 9, 2007	Current
5 new shqalim	24 mm	2.4 mm	8.2 g	Cupronickel 75% copper 25% nickel	12 sides	Capital of column, the state emblem		January 2, 1990	Current
10 new shqalim	23 mm Core: 16 mm	2.2 mm	7 g	Ring: Nickel bonded steel Center: Aureate bonded bronze	Reeded	Palm tree with seven leaves and two baskets with dates, the state emblem, the words "for the redemption of Zion" in ancient and modern Hebrew alphabet	Value, date, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English	February 7, 1995	Current
For table standards, see the coin specification table.

• Note that all dates on Israeli coins are given in the Hebrew calendar and are written in Hebrew numerals.
• ¹The Bank of Israel has asked that the 5 agorot be abolished, pending approval of the Israeli government^[4]

In 1985, banknotes were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 NIS. The 1, 5 and 10 NIS notes used the same basic designs as the earlier 1000, 5000 and 10,000 shqalim notes but with the denominations altered.

In 1986, 100 NIS notes were introduced, followed by 200 NIS notes in 1991. The 1, 5 and 10 NIS notes were later replaced by coins. A plan to issue a 500 NIS banknote, carrying the portrait of Yitzhak Rabin, was announced shortly after Rabin's assassination in 1995. However, due to low inflation rates, there is currently no need for such a banknote, and it is not expected to be issued in the foreseeable future.

Notes currently in circulation are:

Second Series of the New Sheqel
Value	Dimensions	Colour	Obverse	Reverse
20 NIS	71x 138 mm	Green	Moshe Sharett	Jewish volunteers in World War II; a watchtower, commemorating tower and stockade settlements
50 NIS		Purple	Shmuel Yosef Agnon	Agnon's notebook, pen and glasses, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount
100 NIS		Brown	Yitzhak Ben-Zvi	Peki'in Synagogue
200 NIS		Red	Zalman Shazar	a street in Safed and text from Shazar's essay about Safed

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• Economy of Israel
• Sheqel sign

• Bank of Israel catalogue of Israeli currency since 1948

• Don's World Coin Gallery - Israel
• Ron Wise's World Paper Money - Israel ^{Mirror site}
• Tables of Modern Monetary Systems by Kurt Schuler - Asia ^{Mirror site}
• The Global History of Currencies - Israel
• Global Financial Data currency histories table ( Microsoft Excel format)
• Exchange rates since 1948
• American Israel Numismatic Association
• Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation
• Current Sheqel Dollar Rate

v • d • e Historical currencies of Israel
Main unit Palestinian pound May–August 1948 Israeli lira 1948–1980 Sheqel 1980–1985 New sheqel 1985–present Subunit 1/1000 = mil 1/1000 = pruta 1948–1960 1/100 = agora 1960–1980 1/100 = new agora 1/100 = agora

v • d • e Currencies of Asia
Central	Afghan afghani · Kazakhstani tenge · Kyrgyzstani som · Mongolian tögrög · Russian ruble · Tajikistani somoni · Turkmenistani manat · Uzbekistani som
East	Chinese yuan · Hong Kong dollar · Japanese yen · Macanese pataca · North Korean won · New Taiwan dollar · South Korean won
South-East	Brunei dollar · Cambodian riel · Indonesian rupiah · Lao kip · Malaysian ringgit · Myanmar kyat · Philippine peso · Singapore dollar · Thai baht · U.S. dollar (East Timor) · Vietnamese đồng
South	Bangladeshi taka · Bhutanese ngultrum · Indian rupee · Maldivian rufiyaa · Nepalese rupee · Pakistani rupee · Sri Lankan rupee
West	Armenian dram · Azerbaijani manat · Bahraini dinar · Cypriot pound · Egyptian pound · Georgian lari · Iranian rial · Iraqi dinar · Israeli new sheqel · Jordanian dinar · Kuwaiti dinar · Lebanese lira · Omani rial · Qatari riyal · Saudi riyal · Syrian pound · Turkish new lira · UAE dirham · Yemeni rial