First Series of the New Sheqel

On September 4, 1985 the new sheqel, equal to 1,000 old sheqalim, became the currency of Israel. The dropping of three zeros from the old sheqel denominations was intended to simplify money calculations and to facilitate cash payments and financial recording. The name "sheqel" was retained so as not to deviate from the original intention of the legislator as embodied in the Sheqel Currency Law, 5729-1969, viz., to preserve the ancient name of Israel's coinage.

The first series included a new denomination - NIS 50. Later on a NIS 100 banknote was introduced, and in 1986, for the first time since the establishment of the state, an intermediate denomination (NIS 20) was issued.

The new sheqel series continues the trend of perpetuating the memory of prominent personages in Jewish history. The colours and other characteristics of the first banknotes are similar to those of the old sheqel series. The NIS 20, NIS 50, NIS 100 and NIS 200 notes were printed in distinct colours different from the previous ones in order to facilitate their identification by the public.

Dimensions

138 X 76 mm.
Designer

Zvi Narkiss assisted by Arie Glazer.
Issue date

May 8, 1986.
Cancellation date

1 ביולי 2000.
Color

Green.

Front:

Portrait of Maimonides (Rambam); a passage from his manuscript of the "Mishneh Tora" (code of Jewish law); the denomination "One New Sheqel" and "Bank of Israel" in Hebrew.

Back:

Stylized view of Tiberias where Maimonides is buried; an ancient candelabrum; the denomination "1 New Sheqel" and "Bank of Israel" in Arabic and English.

Watermark:

Portrait of Maimonides.

Security thread:

In the middle of the note.

Look-through:

A triangle on the front merges with a triangle on the back to form a Star of David when held against the light.

Sign for the blind:

A triangle in the lower right-hand corner of the front.

Colour of numbering:

Black.

Signatures:

Governor of the Bank Moshe Mandelbaurn; Chairman of the Advisory Council Avraham Shapira.

Dimensions

138 X 76 mm.
Designer

Jacob Zim.
Issue date

September 4, 1985.
Cancellation date

1 ביולי 2000.
Color

Blue.

Front:

Portrait of Levi Eshkol; a panorama of united Jerusalem; the denomination "Five New Sheqallm" and "Bank of Israel" in Hebrew.

Back:

Pipe carrying water, symbolizing Eshkol's enterprise, against a background of meadow and barren land; the denomination "5 New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Arabic and English.

Watermark:

Portrait of Levi Eshkol.

Security thread:

In the centre of the note.

Look-through:

A geometric pattern on the front merges with a pattern on the back to form a Star of David when held against the light.

Sign for the blind:

A square in the upper right-hand corner of the front.

Colour of numbering:

Black.

Signatures:

Governor of the Bank: in series A, Moshe Mandelbaum, in series B, Michael Bruno; Chairman of the Advisory Council: in series A, Avraham Shapira, in series B, Shlomo Lorincz.

Dimensions

138 X 76 mm.
Designer

Asher Kalderon.
Issue date

September 4, 1985.
Cancellation date

1 ביולי 2000.
Color

Orange.

Front:

Portrait of Golda Meir; a stylized tree with intertwining branches against a background of seven-branched candelabra and the words "Let my people go" in microprint; the denomination "Ten New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Hebrew.

Back:

Picture of Golda Meir among a gathering of Russian Jews in front of the Moscow synagogue; the words "Let my people go" in the background in large and tiny letters; the denomination "10 New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Arabic and English.

Watermark:

Portrait of Golda Meir.

Security thread:

In the middle of the note.

Look-through:

A four-branched candelabrum on the front merges with a three-branched candelabrum on the back to form a seven-branched candelabrum when held against the light.

Sign for the blind:

A rhombus in the upper right-hand corner of the front.

Colour of numbering:

Black.

Signatures:

Governor of the Bank: in series A, Moshe Mandelbaum, in series B, Michael Bruno; Chairman of the Advisory Council: in series A, Avraham Shapira, in series B, Shlomo Lorincz.

Dimensions

138 X 76 mm.
Designer

Zvi Narkiss assisted by Arie Glazer.
Issue date

April 2, 1988.
Cancellation date

1 ביולי 2000.
Color

Dark-grey.

Front:

Portrait of Moshe Sharett; below, in a line legible under a magnifying glass, the titles of his seven books; the ceremony of the unfurling of the Israeli flag by Sharett at the U.N. building in 1949; the denomination "Twenty New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Hebrew.

Back:

Original building of the Herzlia high school where Sharett studied; a background of Little Tel Aviv; the denomination "20 New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Arabic and English.

Watermark:

Portrait of Moshe Sharett.

Security thread:

In the middle of the note.

Look-through:

Six small triangles on the front merge with two rhombi and two triangles on the back to form a Star of David when held against the light.

Sign for the blind:

A tilted square within a square in the upper right-hand corner of the front.

Colour of numbering:

Black.

Signatures:

Governor of the Bank Michael Bruno; Chairman of the Advisory Council Shlomo Lorincz.

Dimensions

138 X 76 mm.
Designer

Eliezer Weishoff.
Issue date

September 4, 1985.
Cancellation date

1 ביולי 2000.
Color

Purple.

Front:

Portrait of S.Y. Agnon; the denomination "Fifty New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Hebrew.

Back:

A skyline of Jerusalem and a Jewish townlet in Eastern Europe; titles of 18 books by Agnon in microprint; the denomination "50 New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Arabic and English.

Watermark:

Portrait of S.Y. Agnon.

Security thread:

In the middle of the note.

Look-through:

A three-sided pattern on the front merges with another on the back to form a Star of David when held against the light.

Sign for the blind:

A pentagon in the upper right-hand corner of the front.

Colour of numbering:

Black.

Signatures:

Governor of the Bank Moshe Mandelbaurn; Chairman of the Advisory Council Avraham Shapira.

Dimensions

138 X 76 mm.
Designer

Zvi Narkiss.
Issue date

August 19, 1986.
Cancellation date

1 ביולי 2000.
Color

Brown.

Front:

Portrait of Itzhak Ben-Zvi; to the right, In nine lines legible under a magnifying glass, the titles of his nine books; a background depicting a group of people representing different ethnic communities in Israel: the denomination "One Hundred New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Hebrew.

Back:

A view of Peki'in village, researched by Ben-Zvi, including the synagogue, a carob tree and a cave; an ancient stone candelabrum, the denomination "100 New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Arabic and English.

Watermark:

Portrait of Itzhak Ben-Zvi.

Security thread:

In the middle of the note.

Look-through:

A triangle on the front merges with a triangle on the back to form a Star of David when held against the light.

Sign for the blind:

A half-circle in the upper right-hand corner on the front.

Colour of numbering:

Black on the lower part of the note and green on the upper part.

Signatures:

Governor of the Bank Moshe Mandelbaum.

Note:

The series dated 5749-1989 carries the signatures of the Governor Michael Bruno and Chairman of the Advisory Council Shlomo Lorincz.

Dimensions

138 X 76 mm.
Designer

front: Moshe Pereg; back: Dror Ben-Dov.
Issue date

February 16, 1992.
Cancellation date

1 ביולי 2000.
Color

Orange.

Front:

Portrait of Zalman Shazar, third president of Israel; Candelabrum formed from DNA molecule, as a symbol to the progress of science; In the background - the poem "compulsory education law" written by Natan Alterman in 1949; the denomination "Two Hundred New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Hebrew.

Back:

A girl leaning over a table; Hebrew letters; the denomination "Two Hundred New Sheqalim" and "Bank of Israel" in Arabic and English.

Watermark:

Portrait of Zalman Shazar.

Security thread:

In the middle of the note.

Look-through:

Eight triangles on the front merge with four triangles on the back to form a Star of David when held against the light.

Sign for the blind:

An identical geometric form on the front and the back.

Colour of numbering:

Black on the lower part of the note and red on the upper part.

Signatures:

Governor of the Bank Prof. Michael Bruno and Chairman of the Advisory Council Shlomo Lorincz.

This page was last updated on: 21/05/2023

First Series of the New Sheqel

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