Israeli agora

The agora (Hebrew: אגורה‎, pl. אגורות‎, agorot) is a denomination of the currency of Israel. The Israeli currency – the new Israeli shekel (ILS) – is divided into 100 agorot.

One new agora, from the old Israeli shekel series

1, 5, and 10 agorot coins

History

The name agora actually refers to three kinds of currencies that were used in Israel throughout its history. All of them have been subdivisions of the main currency units.

This name was used for the first time in 1960, when the Israeli government decided to change the subdivision of the Israeli lira (a.k.a. Israeli pound) from 1000 prutot to 100 agorot.[1] The name was suggested by the Academy of the Hebrew Language, and was borrowed from the Hebrew Bible, I Samuel 2:36 ...every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver... (the term "piece of silver" appears in Hebrew as "agorat kessef").

In 1980 the Israeli lira was abolished and replaced by the shekel at a rate of 10 IP per 1 shekel. 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: "½ New Shekel".

A coin of 1 agora was in use until April 1, 1991[2] and a coin of 5 agorot was in use until January 1, 2008 when the Bank of Israel decided to cease production. This was due to the costs spent on its production which considerably exceeded the coin's value. Today, when paying in cash, the price must be rounded to the nearest multiple of 10 agorot. When buying several items, the rounding is done for the total sum. There is no rounding when paying with cheques, credit cards or bank orders.

Issues

Israeli pound


Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description		Date of
Image	Value	Diameter (mm)	Mass (g)	Composition	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Withdrawal
	1 agora	20	1.03	aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%	Hordeum, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic	Value, date	01.01.1960	22.02.1980
	5 agorot	17.5	2.30 (copper) 0.8 (alum.)	1960—1975: copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2% 1976—1979: aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%	Three pomegranates, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic
	10 agorot	21.5	4.15 (copper) 1.55 (alum.)	1960—1977: copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2% 1978—1979: aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%	Palm tree, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic
	25 agorot	25.5	6.5	copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2%	Lyre, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic
	I£1/2	24.5	6.8	copper 75%, nickel 25%	The state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English		12.09.1963	31.03.1984

Old Israeli shekel

Old shekel coins
Image	Value	Technical parameters			Description		Date of
Image	Value	Diameter (mm)	Mass (g)	Composition	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Withdrawal
	1 new agora	15	0.6	aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%	Palm tree, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic	Value, date	24.02.1980	04.09.1986
	5 new agorot	18.5	0.9	aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%	The state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English
	10 new agorot	16	2.1	copper 92%, nickel 8%	Three pomegranates, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English
	IS½	20	3	copper 75%, nickel 25%	Lion, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English	Value, date, two stars

Note that all dates on Israeli coins are given in the Hebrew calendar and are written in Hebrew numerals.

Israeli new shekel

New shekel coin series
Image	Value	Technical parameters				Description			Date of
Image	Value	Diameter	Thickness	Mass	Composition	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Withdrawal
	1 agora	17 mm	1.2 mm	2 g	Aluminium bronze 92% copper 6% aluminium 2% nickel	Plain	Ancient galley, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English	Value, date	4 September 1985	1 April 1991
	5 agorot	19.5 mm	1.3 mm	3 g			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			1 January 2008
	10 agorot	22 mm	1.5 mm	4 g			Replica of a coin issued by Antigonus II Mattathias with the seven-branched candelabrum, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English			Current
	₪½	26 mm	1.6 mm	6.5 g			Lyre, the state emblem	Value, date, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English

Note that all dates on Israeli coins are given in the Hebrew calendar and are written in Hebrew numerals.

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References

Banknotes and Coins of Israel: 1927–2006, Yigal Arkin, Bank of Israel, Currency Dept., 2006, p.91
The Numismatist, American Numismatic Association, 1993, p.886

External links

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[1] Banknotes and Coins of Israel: 1927–2006, Yigal Arkin, Bank of Israel, Currency Dept., 2006, p.91

[2] The Numismatist, American Numismatic Association, 1993, p.886