Chapter III Banknotes Page 5 New



Chapter III Banknotes Page 5 New Sheqel / New Shekel series 1985 - present Series I & II: transliterated into New Sheqel (sing.) and New Sheqalim (pl.) From series III: transliterated into New Shekel (sing.) and New Shekels (pl.)

Series I of the New Sheqel (Series VI since the establishment of the Bank of Israel) Israeli and Jewish Personalities 1985 - 1992
In September 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 of NIS 20 was issued. The New Sheqel series continued the trend of perpetuating the memory of prominent personages in Jewish history. The colors 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 colors different from the previous ones in order to facilitate their identification by the public.

1 New Sheqel Obverse: Moses Maimonides Reverse: Tiberias Dominant color: green Dimensions: 138 x 76 mm Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 8 May 1986

Cat. # 51Aa without signature
Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
51A	5746	1986	Mandelbaum (only)		001.00	001.00	001.20	011.80	003.50
51Aa	5746	1986	Without signature						350.00
Signature: Cat. # 51A Right: Moshe Mandelbaum, Governor of the Bank Left: no signature, as at the time the Bank of Israel had no functioning Advisory Committee Cat. # 51Aa Without signature
Images on 1 New Sheqel (series I of the New Sheqel) banknote: Left: Due to absence of a contemporary image of Moses Maimonides, this artist's impression is widely used (obverse) Right: Manuscript of one of Maimomides' works as it appears on the banknote (obverse)
The NIS 1 banknote of series I of the New Sheqel depicts on its obverse an effigy of Moses Maimonides (1135-1204), Rabbi, physician and philosopher. Maimonides is acknowledged to be one of the foremost philosophers in Jewish history, whose works and views are considered a cornerstone of Jewish thought and study. Maimonides' full name was Moshe ben Maimon, and in Israel he is almost always referred to by he Hebrew acronym of his title and name, "Rambam" (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon). Outside Israel his is widely known by his Greek name, Moses Maimonides. A passage from the manuscript of one of his most famous scholarly works, "Mishneh Tora" (Code of Jewish Law) forms the background of the banknote's obverse. On the reverse, a stylized view of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, the site of Maimonides' grave, is shown.

5 New Sheqalim Obverse: Levi Eshkol Reverse: water pipe and meadows Dominant color: blue Dimensions: 138 x 76 mm Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 4 September 1985

Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
52a	5745	1985	Mandelbaum - Schapira		2.50	2.50	4.50	8.00	18.00
52b	5747	1987	Bruno - Lorincz		2.50	2.50	3.50	7.00	15.00
Signatures: Cat. # 52a Right: Moshe Mandelbaum, Governor of the Bank Left: Avraham Yosef Schapira, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 52b Right: Michael Bruno, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee
Images on 5 New Sheqalim (series I of the New Sheqel) banknote: Left: Official photograph of Levi Eshkol (obverse) Right: Laying of water pipe segments for national water conduit, 1962 (reverse)
The NIS 5 banknote of series I of the New Sheqel shows on its obverse a portrait of Levi Eshkol (1895-1969), third prime minister of Israel from 1963 until his death in February 1969. Eshkol, who was finance minister during the twelve years preceding his premiership, is credited with extensive economic, industrial and infrastructural progress during the first two decades of independence. Also depicted on the banknote's obverse is the Jerusalem skyline, a city reunited during Eshkol's tenure as prime minister. On the reverse, coupled water pipes, flowing water, and the stark contrast between verdant fields and barren wasteland, epitomizes Levi Eshkol's preoccupation with building the fledgling nation's infrastructure, the highlight being the completion in 1964 of the national water conduit project, carrying water through underground pipes and surface canals from the Sea of Galilee to central Israel and the Negev desert.

10 New Sheqalim Obverse: Golda Meir Reverse: Golda Meir crowded by Soviet Jews outside Moscow synagogue, 1948 Dominant color: orange Dimensions: 138 x 76 mm Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 4 September 1985

Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
53a	5745	1985	Mandelbaum - Schapira		5.00	5.00	9.00	17.00	38.00
53b	5747	1987	Bruno - Lorincz		5.00	5.00	7.00	10.00	25.00
53c	5752	1992	Frenkel - Lorincz		4.00	4.00	5.00	7.00	15.00
Signatures: Cat. # 53a Right: Moshe Mandelbaum, Governor of the Bank Left: Avraham Yosef Schapira, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 53b Right: Michael Bruno, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 53c Right: Yaakov Frenkel, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee
Images on 10 New Sheqalim (series I of the New Sheqel) banknote: Left: Official photograph of Prime Minister Golda Meir (obverse) Middle: Ambassador Golda Meir mobbed by crowd of Soviet Jews outside the Moscow synagogue, September 1948 (reverse) Right: Detail of Moscow image (reverse)
The NIS 10 banknote of series I of the New Sheqel depicts on its obverse Golda Meir (1898-1978), Israel's fourth prime minister from 1969 until 1974. Born in present-day Ukraine and raised for 15 years in the USA, Golda Meir (affectionately commonly called "Golda" in Israel) was Israel's first - and until now only - woman prime minister, and ranks #3 on the world list (after Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka and Indira Gandhi of India). Before her premiership, Golda was Israel's first ambassador to the USSR, and served as foreign minister for ten years. Golda's preoccupation with the plight of Soviet Jewry, first during her short stint in Moscow, later as foreign minister, but primarily when she was prime minister, is reflected on the banknote's obverse by a stylized tree with intertwining branches forming a Star of David against a background of seven-branched candelabra and the words "Let My People Go" in microprint. During Golda's premiership the Russian authorities were forced to open the exit gates, resulting in a massive outflow of Soviet Jews, many of whom settled in Israel. The reverse of the NIS 10 banknote features the monumental photograph of Golda, then ambassador to the USSR, mobbed in September 1948 by a crowd of thousands of Soviet Jews outside the Moscow Choral Synagogue, where she was about to attend High Holidays services. Golda's head can be seen in the foreground.

20 New Sheqalim Obverse: Moshe Sharett Reverse: Herzliya High School, Tel Aviv Dominant color: grey Dimensions: 138 x 71 mm Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 12 April 1988

Obverse Reverse Cat. # 54 b Double circle with dot
Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
54a	5747	1987	Bruno - Lorincz		8.00	8.00	10.00	17.00	35.00
54b	5747	1987	Bruno - Lorincz	double circle with dot in watermark	8.00	8.00	10.00	15.00	30.00
54c	5753	1993	Frenkel - Lorincz		7.50	7.50	8.50	10.00	20.00
Signatures: Cat. # 54a & 54b Right: Michael Bruno, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 54c Right: Yaakov Frenkel, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee
Images on 20 New Sheqalim (series I of the New Sheqel) banknote: Top left: Moshe Sharett (obverse) Top right: Raising the Israeli flag at the UN, 1949 (obverse) Bottom: Herzliya Hebrew High School in Tel Aviv, 1920s (reverse)
The NIS 20 banknote of series I of the New Sheqel features on its obverse Moshe Sharett (1894-1965), Israel's second prime minister (actually interim prime minister) from 1953 until 1955. Prior to his short tenure as premier, Sharett was the chief negotiator between the Jewish Agency and the British Mandate authorities from 1933 until 1948, whereupon he was Israel's first foreign minister until 1953. In 1949 Israel was accepted as a member of the United Nations, with Moshe Sharett personally raising the national flag in front of the UN headquarters in New York. The famous photograph of Sharett unfolding the Israel flag before it was hoisted appears on the note's obverse. On the reverse, the Herzliya Hebrew High School in Tel Aviv, from which Moshe Sharett graduated, is shown.

50 New Sheqalim Obverse: Shmuel Yosef (Shai) Agnon Reverse: Jerusalem skyline and Eastern European small Jewish town Dominant color: purple Dimensions: 138 x 76 mm Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 4 September 1985

Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
55a	5745	1985	Mandelbaum - Schapira		20.00	20.00	25.00	40.00	100.00
55b	5748	1988	Bruno - Lorincz		20.00	20.00	25.00	40.00	100.00
55c	5752	1992	Frenkel - Lorincz		18.00	18.00	20.00	25.00	50.00
Signatures: Cat. # 55a Right: Moshe Mandelbaum, Governor of the Bank Left: Avraham Yosef Schapira, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 55b Right: Michael Bruno, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 55c Right: Yaakov Frenkel, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee
Images on 50 New Sheqalim (series I of the New Sheqel) banknote: Left: Shmuel Yosef Agnon (obverse) Right: Lakhva, a typical small Jewish town or "Shtetl" in Poland, postcard from 1926 (reverse)
The obverse of the NIS 50 banknote of series I of the New Sheqel depicts Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Israel's first Nobel Prize laureate, who was awarded the prize for literature in 1966. Born in 1888 in Eastern Galicia, he immigrated to Israel in 1908. His works depict much of past Jewish life in Europe, life in the Land of Israel before the modern Jewish State was established, and Judaism itself. Agnon writes in Hebrew with exceptional richness of language, incorporating many quotations from the Scriptures and Jewish Sages. Agnon was one of the central figures of Hebrew literature of the 20th century and was awarded the Israel Prize twice, the Bialik prize, and the Nobel Prize. His books have been translated into English, German and many other languages. He died in Jerusalem in 1970. On this banknote, Agnon is portrayed in a pensive mode against a backdrop of his books. On the reverse, two of Agnon's major subjects of his many writings, an Eastern European small Jewish town or "Shtetl", and Jerusalem, are outlined in two stylized semi-circles, with letters of the Hebrew alphabet floating in the Jerusalem sky. A total of 20,000 banknotes was issued; 9,999 loose notes, and 10,001 notes in presentation folder

50 New Sheqalim 50th Anniversary of Independence issue Obverse: Shmuel Yosef (Shai) Agnon Reverse: Jerusalem skyline and Eastern European small Jewish town Dominant color: purple Dimensions: 138 x 76 mm Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: March/April 1998 Special feature: one serial number on obverse only (none on reverse)
Serial number on left side of obverse only (no serial numbers on reverse)
Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
58a	5758	1998	Frenkel - Lorincz	Special 50th Anniversary issue: serial # on obverse only				20.00	40.00
Signatures: Cat. # 58 Right: Yaakov Frenkel, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee
In 1998, celebrating Israel's 50th Anniversary of Independence, the Bank of Israel released a special issue of the NIS 50 "Agnon" banknote, with several alterations in its design. On its obverse, the serial number was placed once only, vertically turned left 90º, on its left side. This singular placement of the serial number on a banknote's obverse was discontinued after the first Bank of Israel series of banknotes (1955). Also unfamiliar is the complete absence of the serial number on opposite sides of the note's reverse. The overall design of this NIS 50 commemorative banknote remained unchanged, except for the date adjustment to the jubilee year 5758/1998.

100 New Sheqalim Obverse: Yitzhak Ben-Zvi Reverse: Peki'in village and synagogue Dominant color: brown Dimensions: 138 x 76 mm Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 19 August 1986

Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
56a	5746	1986	Mandelbaum (only)		42.00	42.00	48.00	60.00	120.00
56b	5749	1989	Bruno - Lorincz		40.00	40.00	45.00	55.00	95.00
56c	5755	1995	Frenkel - Lorincz		40.00	40.00	42.00	50.00	80.00
Signatures: Cat. # 56a Right: Moshe Mandelbaum, Governor of the Bank Left: no signature, as at the time the Bank of Israel had no functioning Advisory Committee Cat. # 56b Right: Michael Bruno, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 56c Right: Yaakov Frenkel, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee
Images on 100 New Sheqalim (series I of the New Sheqel) banknote: From left to right: Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (obverse) Stone tablet dating from the Second Temple period, uncovered at the synagogue in 1926, depicting Menorah, Shofar and Lulav (reverse) View of Peki'in village Cave in which Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son, Rabbi Elazar ben Shimon, hid from the Romans for 13 years after the collapse of the Bar Kochba rebellion
The NIS 100 banknote of series I of the New Sheqel depicts on its obverse Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (1884-1963), scholar, historian, political leader, and Israel's second president from 1952 until his death in 1963. Before independence, Ben-Zvi was one of the leaders of the Labor Zionist political movement. After the proclamation of the State of Israel in 1948 he served as Member of the First and Second Knesset (parliament), and headed the Institute for the Study of Oriental Jewish Communities in the Middle East, later named the Ben-Zvi Institute in his honor. Ben-Zvi is known for his modesty, believing that the president should set an example for the public. Even during his presidency, he and his family lived in a wooden hut in Jerusalem. Two larger structures in the yard were used for official receptions. On the banknote's reverse, the Peki'in village and synagogue, located in northern Israel, are featured. The synagogue is said to have built into its walls two stones taken from the walls of the Temple in Jerusalem. The current structure dates from 1873 and is said to have been built on a site of an ancient synagogue dating from the era of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, around the 3rd-4th century BC. In 1926 and 1930 two old stone tablets dating from the Second Temple period were uncovered at the synagogue. One depicts a Menorah, Shofar and Lulav and the second depicts a gateway with columns on each side, probably symbolizing the gateway to the Holy of Holies. In 1955 the building was renovated at the request of president Yitzhak Ben-Zvi who researched the Jewish settlement in Peki'in in his book Shaar Yashuv.

200 New Sheqalim Obverse: Zalman Shazar Reverse: girl pupil Dominant color: orange Dimensions: 138 x 76 mm Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 16 February 1992

Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
57a	5751	1991	Bruno - Lorincz		70.00	70.00	75.00	85.00	140.00
57b	5754	1994	Frenkel - Lorincz		70.00	70.00	75.00	80.00	125.00
Signatures: Cat. # 57a Right: Michael Bruno, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 57b Right: Yaakov Frenkel, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee
Images on 200 New Sheqalim (series I of the New Sheqel) banknote: Left: Zalman Shazar (obverse) Right: Photograph of the girl pupil who appears on the banknote (reverse)
Zalman Shazar (1889-1974), politician, author, poet, journalist, and Israel's third president, appears on the obverse of the NIS 200 banknote of series I of the New Sheqel. Shazar's lifelong preoccupation with education is reflected by the Candelabrum formed from DNA molecule, as a symbol to the progress of science. The banknote's reverse shows a girl pupil at work, with Hebrew characters floating around her, symbolizing Shazar's efforts during his tenure as minister of education to reform Israel's education system, culminating in the compulsory education law of 1949, stipulating that each child between age 3 and 18 must receive compulsory education. Today, education in Israel is not only compulsory, but also free until completion of secondary school.

Series II of the New Sheqel (Series VII since the establishment of the Bank of Israel) Israeli Personalities 1998 - 2014 Status: legal tender
As from early 1999, Series II of the New Sheqel was placed into circulation. The second series includes improved security features against forgery. The banknotes share similar design elements and all have uniform security features. The personages on Series II of the New Sheqel notes are those who featured on the same denominations of the first NIS series. The notes are designed vertically, and all denominations are uniform in size: 138 x 71 mm.

20 New Sheqalim Type I - paper Obverse: Moshe Sharett Reverse: Israel flag raising ceremony at UN, 1949 Dominant color: green Dimensions: 71 x 138 mm Material: paper Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 3 January 1999

Cat. # 59b & 59b.1 differences Top: Cat. # 59b - single-coated thin paper, serial numbers starting with digits 1 & 2 Bottom: Cat. # 59b/1 & 59c - double-coated thick paper, serial numbers starting with digit 5 & 4
Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
59a	5758	1998	Frenkel - Lorincz		888.88	888.88	888.88		25.00
59b	5761	2001	Klein - Lorincz	single-coated thin paper, series 1 & 2					14.00
59b.1	5761	2001	Klein - Lorincz	double-coated thick paper, series 5					12.00
59c	5768	2008	Fischer-Fogel	double-coated thick paper, series 4					9.00
Signatures: Cat. # 59a Right: Yaakov Frenkel, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 59b Right: David Klein, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 59c Right: Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank Left: Aharon Fogel, Chairman of the Advisory Committee
Images on 20 New Sheqalim (series II of the New Sheqel) banknote: Top left: Moshe Sharett (obverse) Top right: Raising the Israeli flag at the UN, 1949 (obverse) Bottom left: Watchtower at Kibbutz Maoz Haim, 1937 (reverse) Bottom right: Jewish Brigade volunteers parading in Tel Aviv, 1944 (reverse)
The NIS 20 banknote of series II of the New Sheqel features on its obverse Moshe Sharett (1894-1965), Israel's second prime minister (actually interim prime minister) from 1953 until 1955. Prior to his short tenure as premier, Sharett was the chief negotiator between the Jewish Agency and the British Mandate authorities from 1933 until 1948, whereupon he was Israel's first foreign minister until 1953. In 1949 Israel was accepted as a member of the United Nations, with Moshe Sharett personally raising the national flag in front of the UN headquarters in New York. A section of the famous photograph of Sharett unfolding the Israel flag before it was hoisted appears on the note's obverse. The reverse shows Jewish Brigade volunteers during the Second World War and a pre-State watchtower.

20 New Sheqalim Type II - polymer Obverse: Moshe Sharett Reverse: Israel flag raising ceremony at UN, 1949 Dominant color: green Dimensions: 71 x 138 mm Material: polypropylene polymer Printers (unverified): Orell Füssli Security Printing, Zürich/Switzerland Date of issue: 13 April 2008

Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
64a	5768	2008	Fischer - Fogel	current issue	888.88	888.88	888.88		9.00
63	5768	2008	Fischer - Fogel	Reverse red overprint: STATE OF ISRAEL 60 YEARS					12.00
Signatures: Cat. # 64a & 63 Right: Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank Left: Aharon Fogel, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 64b PICTURE PENDING Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank (as per the new Bank of Israel Law 5770/2010, the Advisory Committee has ceased to exist; hence the cancellation of the Chairman's signature)
Images on 20 New Sheqalim (series III of the New Sheqel) banknote: Top left: Moshe Sharett (obverse) Top right: Raising the Israeli flag at the UN, 1949 (obverse) Bottom left: Watchtower at Kibbutz Maoz Haim, 1937 (reverse) Bottom right: Jewish Brigade volunteers parading in Tel Aviv, 1944 (reverse)
Due to increased wear and tear of the NIS 20 banknote of Series II of the New Sheqel, and unwillingness by the Bank of Israel to replace it with a coin, Israel's State bank turned to new technologies already in use by 26 countries, the use of bi-axially oriented polypropylene, universally known as polymer banknotes. The new NIS 20 polymer banknote was placed into circulation in April 2008.The design on the polymer notes is the same as that on the paper notes, except for small changes in the security features. The most notable of these is a transparent window in the polymer notes, as shown below, which is easily recognizable by the public. The window has the number "20" embossed on it. The NIS 20 banknote of series III of the New Sheqel features on its obverse Moshe Sharett (1894-1965), Israel's second prime minister (actually interim prime minister) from 1953 until 1955. Prior to his short tenure as premier, Sharett was the chief negotiator between the Jewish Agency and the British Mandate authorities from 1933 until 1948, whereupon he was Israel's first foreign minister until 1953. In 1949 Israel was accepted as a member of the United Nations, with Moshe Sharett unfolding the national flag in front of the UN headquarters in New York. A section of the famous photograph of Sharett unfolding the Israel flag before it was hoisted appears on the note's obverse. The reverse shows Jewish Brigade volunteers during the Second World War and a pre-State watchtower. This banknote is Israel's first to be made of BOPP, bi-axially oriented polypropylene, a polymer. With its release on 13 April 2008, Israel became the 27th country to adopt polypropylene polymer as base material for banknotes. Reportedly, the Bank of Israel placed a trial order of twenty million NIS 20 polymer banknotes from the Swiss banknote printers Orell Füssli. If the release of the new polymer banknote is successful, the Bank of Israel may decide to switch to polypropylene altogether. The commemorative 60th Anniversary banknote was released simultaneously with a limited issue of 1,800,000 notes only.

50 New Sheqalim Obverse: Shmuel Yosef (Shai) Agnon Reverse: Agnon's writing stand Dominant color: violet Dimensions: 71 x 138 mm Material: paper Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 31 October 1999

Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
60a	5758	1998	Frenkel - Lorincz						45.00
60b	5761	2001	Klein - Lorincz						35.00
60c	5767	2007	Fischer - Fogel	current issue					22.00
Signatures: Cat. # 60a Right: Yaakov Frenkel, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 60b Right: David Klein, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 60c Right: Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank Left: Aharon Fogel, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 60d PICTURE PENDING Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank (as per the new Bank of Israel Law 5770/2010, the Advisory Committee has ceased to exist; hence the cancellation of the Chairman's signature)
Images on 50 New Sheqalim (series II of the New Sheqel) banknote: Top left: Shmuel Yosef (Shai) Agnon (obverse) Top right: Agnon's study (obverse) Bottom left: Writing stand, reading glasses and pen (reverse) Bottom right: Jewish Brigade volunteers parading in Tel Aviv, 1944 (reverse)
The obverse of the NIS 50 banknote of series II of the New Sheqel depicts Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1888-1970), Israel's first Nobel Prize laureate, who was awarded the prize for literature in 1966. Agnon's works depict much of past Jewish life in Europe, life in the Land of Israel before the modern Jewish State was established, and Judaism itself. Agnon writes in Hebrew with exceptional richness of language, incorporating many quotations from the Scriptures and Jewish Sages. Agnon was one of the central figures of Hebrew literature of the 20th century and was awarded the Israel Prize twice, the Bialik prize, and the Nobel Prize. His books have been translated into English, German and many other languages. He died in Jerusalem in 1970. On this banknote, Shai (the Hebrew acronym of Shmuel Yosef) Agnon is portrayed in a pensive mode in his study. On the reverse, Agnon's writing stand is shown, as well as the titles of sixteen of his books. Agnon wrote while standing, out of respect for the written word. Also on the banknote's reverse appears an aerial view of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, on which he had a panoramic view from his home. The photograph shown here was the only picture on the wall of his home in the Talpiot neighborhood, now a museum.

100 New Sheqalim Obverse: Yitzhak Ben-Zvi Reverse: Peki'in village and synagogue Dominant color: brown Dimensions: 71 x 138 mm Material: paper Printers (unverified): Orell Füssli Security Printing, Zürich/Switzerland Date of issue: 3 January 1999

Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
61a	5758	1998	Frenkel - Lorincz		888.88	888.88	888.88		070.00
61b	5762	2002	Klein - Lorincz						55.00
61c	5767	2007	Fischer - Fogel						45.00
61d	5774	2014	Flug						40.00
Signatures: Cat. # 61a Right: Yaakov Frenkel, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 61b Right: David Klein, Governor of the Bank Left: Aharon Fogel, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 61c Right: Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 61d Karnit Flug, Governor of the Bank
Images on 100 New Sheqalim (series II of the New Sheqel) banknote: Top left: Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (obverse) Top right: The wooden hut which served as president Yitzhak Ben-Zvi's official residence (obverse) Bottom left: View of Peki'in village, photograph dating from early 20th century (reverse) Bottom right: Peki'in synagogue (reverse)
The NIS 100 banknote of series II of the New Sheqel depicts on its obverse Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (1884-1963), scholar, historian, political leader, and Israel's second president from 1952 until his death in 1963. Ben-Zvi was an active Zionist already during his youth in his native Ukraine. In 1907 he emigrated to Eretz Israel, where he became an exponent of the Labor Zionist political movement. After the proclamation of the State of Israel in 1948 he served as Member of the First and Second Knesset (parliament), and headed the Institute for the Study of Oriental Jewish Communities in the Middle East, later named the Ben-Zvi Institute in his honor. Ben-Zvi is known for his modesty, believing that the president should set an example for the public. Even during his presidency, he and his family lived in a wooden hut in Jerusalem. Two larger structures in the yard were used for official receptions. The austere wooden hut's inside serves as a backdrop on the banknote's obverse. On the banknote's reverse, the Peki'in synagogue and village, located in northern Israel, are featured. The synagogue is said to have built into its walls two stones taken from the walls of the Temple in Jerusalem. The current structure dates from 1873 and is said to have been built on a site of an ancient synagogue dating from the era of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, around the 3rd-4th century BC. In 1926 and 1930 two old stone tablets dating from the Second Temple period were uncovered at the synagogue. One depicts a Menorah, Shofar and Lulav and the second depicts a gateway with columns on each side, probably symbolizing the gateway to the Holy of Holies. In 1955 the building was renovated at the request of president Yitzhak Ben-Zvi who researched the Jewish settlement in Peki'in in his book Shaar Yashuv.

200 New Sheqalim Obverse: Zalman Shazar Reverse: Safed alley and synagogue Dominant color: red Dimensions: 71 x 138 mm Material: paper Printers (unverified): Orell Füssli Security Printing, Zürich/Switzerland Date of issue: 31 October 1999

Cat. #	Date		Signatures	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signatures	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
62a	5759	1999	Frenkel - Lorincz						140.00
62b	5762	2002	Klein - Lorincz						120.00
62c	5766	2006	Fischer - Fogel						100.00
62d	5770	2010	Fischer						70.00
62e	5774	2014	Flug						65.00
Signatures: Cat. # 62a Right: Yaakov Frenkel, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 62b Right: David Klein, Governor of the Bank Left: Shlomo Lorincz, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 62c Right: Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank Left: Aharon Fogel, Chairman of the Advisory Committee Cat. # 62d Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank (as per the Bank of Israel Law 5770/2010, the Advisory Committee has ceased to exist; hence the cancellation of the Chairman's signature) Cat. # 62e Karnit Flug, Governor of the Bank
Images on 200 New Sheqalim (series II of the New Sheqel) banknote: Top left: Zalman Shazar (obverse) Top middle: Abuhav Synagogue, Safed (reverse) Top right: Ancient alley in Safed (reverse) Bottom: First day in class, 1970 (obverse)
Zalman Shazar (1889-1974), politician, author, poet, journalist, and Israel's third president, appears on the obverse of the NIS 200 banknote of series I of the New Sheqel. Shazar's lifelong preoccupation with education is reflected by the appearance of pupils in an elementary school class. During his tenure as minister of education he managed to reform Israel's education system, culminating in the compulsory education law of 1949, stipulating that each child between age 3 and 18 must receive compulsory education. Today, education in Israel is not only compulsory, but also free until completion of secondary school. The reverse of the banknote shows the interior of the Abuhav Synagogue and an alley in the ancient Galilee town of Safed, mentioned in Shazar's writings.

Series III of the New Shekel* (Series VIII since the establishment of the Bank of Israel) Israeli Literary Personalities 2014 - present Status: legal tender
In December 2009 the Bank of Israel officially announced that a new series banknotes, series III of the New Shekel* (series VIII since the establishment of the Bank of Israel), replacing series II of the New Sheqel (series VII since the establishment of the Bank of Israel).This series is dedicated to personalities who contributed much to Hebrew culture in general and literature in particular. Major design changes versus the previous series are the use of holograms, different sizes increasing with each denomination and the return to a horizontal design. The change : e new series will have banknotes in identical denominations of NIS 20, NIS 50, NIS 100 and NIS 200. An additional important design change is the dropping of the English translitaration "New Sheqalim" in favor of "New Shekels".

20 New Shekels Obverse: Rachel "The Poetess" Bluwstein-Sela Reverse: to be announced Dominant color: red Dimensions: 129 x 71 mm Material: to be announced Printers (unverified): Orell Füssli Security Printing, Zürich/Switzerland Date of issue: 2016/2017 - exact date to be announced
PICTURE PENDING
Cat. #	Date		Signature	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signature	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
			Karnit Flug		888.88	888.88	888.88		8.00
Signature: Cat. # ? SIGNATURE - PICTURE PENDING Karnit Flug, Governor of the Bank
Images on 20 New Sheqalim (series III of the New Sheqel) banknote: PICTURES PENDING
Explanatory notes on the new NIS 20 banknote featuring Rachel "The Poetess" Bluwstein-Sela will appear upon its release.

50 New Shekels Obverse: Shaul Tchernichovsky Reverse: capital of Corinthian column and passage from a poem Dominant color: green Dimensions: 136 x 71 mm Material: paper Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 16th September 2014

Cat. #	Date		Signature	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signature	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
65a	5774	2014	Karnit Flug		888.88	888.88	888.88		18.00
Signature: Cat. # 65a Karnit Flug, Governor of the Bank
Images on 50 New Shekels (series III of the New Shekel) banknote: Left: Autographed picture of Shaul Tchernichovsky, 1930s (obvere) Right: capital of Corinthian column, Beit Shean (reverse)
The NIS 50 banknote of series III of the New Shekel (note the departure from the English transliteration Sheqel and Sheqalim in favor of Shekel and Shekels) depicts on its obverse Shaul Tchernichovsky (1875-1943), physician, poet and translator. Tchernichovsky is considered one of the great Hebrew poets, identified with nature poetry, and as a poet was greatly influenced by the culture of ancient Greece. On the banknote's obverse, Shaul Tchernichovsky's effigy is flanked on the left by a fruit-bearing citrus tree. This design is inspired by "Oh, My Land, My Homeland", one of his most popular poems, composed in 1931 in Tel Aviv. In this poem, the phrase "fragrance of spring citrus orchards" appears several times. The reverse depicts a capital of a Corinthian column, in reference to part of Tchernichovsky’s compositions and his translations of ancient Greek literature. Capitals of ancient Corinthian columns have been excavated in Israel on various ocasions, for instance in Beit Shean (Beisan). Below the serial number is a passage from his poem "I Believe" (also referred to as Laugh, laugh!"), written in Odessa (Ukraine, then part of Czarist Russia) in 1894: "For still I do believe in man, and in his spirit, strong and bold".

100 New Shekels Obverse: Lea Goldberg Reverse: to be announced Dominant color: orange Dimensions: 143 x 71 mm Material: paper Printers (unverified): Orell Füssli Security Printing, Zürich/Switzerland Date of issue: 2016/2017 - exact date to be announced
PICTURE PENDING
Cat. #	Date		Signature	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signature	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
			Karnit Flug		888.88	888.88	888.88		35.00
Signature: Cat. # ? SIGNATURE - PICTURE PENDING Karnit Flug, Governor of the Bank
Images on 100 New Shekels (series III of the New Shekel) banknote: PICTURES PENDING
Explanatory notes on the new NIS 50 banknote featuring Lea Goldberg will appear upon its release.

200 New Shekels Obverse: Nathan Alterman Reverse: moonlit flora and passage from a poem Dominant color: blue Dimensions: 150 x 71 mm Material: paper Printers (unverified): Royal Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem/Netherlands Date of issue: 23rd December 2015

Cat. #	Date		Signature	Remarks	Value USD
Cat. #	Heb.	Civil	Signature	Remarks	F	VF	XF	AU	Unc.
66a	5775	2015	Karnit Flug		888.88	888.88	888.88		60.00
Signature: Cat. # 66a Karnit Flug, Governor of the Bank
Image on 200 New Shekels (series III of the New Shekel) banknote: Photograph of Nathan Alterman facing right, taken by Boris Carmi during the 1960s. On the banknote's obverse, a mirror image of this picture was used, to comply with design basics.
The NIS 200 banknote of series III of the New Shekel (note the departure from the English transliteration Sheqel and Sheqalim in favor of Shekel and Shekels) is dedicated to Nathan Alterman (1910-1970), poet, playwright, journalist and translator. On the obverse of the banknote, Nathan Alterman's effigy is flanked on the left by autumn leaves' inspired by his poem "Eternal Meeting". The designer used the image depicted above, but had to use a mirror image to comply with design basics. On the reverse, below the serial number, appears a passage from the poem "Morning Song": "We love you, motherland, with joy, with song and with toil". The left part is dominated by moonlit flora, also inspired by a passage from the poem "Eternal Meeting": "There the moon blazes as the cook’s kiss, there a damp sky thunders its cough, there a tree lowers its branch for me as a handkerchief..."



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20 New Sheqalim

20 New Sheqalim

20 New Shekels

50 New Shekels

100 New Shekels

200 New Shekels