The Israeli Shekel
In Israel, the currency used is know as the New Israeli Shekel (NIS) and is symbolized using the sign ₪. Interestingly, this symbol was chosen as it is the combination of the first Hebrew letters in the words Sheqel Hadash, which means Israeli new shekel.
The bank notes come in 20, 50, 100, and 200 shekel bills, while the coins come in 0.1, 1/2, 1, 2, 5, 10 shekel. Here is what the currency looks like (click the picture to see a larger version).
This year, the bills are being replaced with newer versions (the bills on the right). Some of the bills, such as the 20 shekel and 100 shekel ones, have yet to be circulated, hence the red 'specimen' label. To find out more about who and what is featured on the Israeli currency click here.
The current exchange rate is about 0.36 CAD to 1 NIS, or 2.75 NIS to 1 CAD, roughly a 3x difference. This means that the 200 shekel bill works out to about $70, while the 0.1 shekel coin (also known as 10 agora) is about 4 cents. They used to have 1 and 5 agorot pieces, but those were discontinued in 1991 and 2008, respectively
Unlike the doctor, who has a fancy credit card and doesn't really have to use the Israeli currency, my wallet is full of 10 agarot pieces from my weekly grocery shopping trips and is getting quite heavy! According to the doctor's colleague, the metal from the 10 agarot piece is worth more than the 10 agora, so we'll be saving ours up to sell to a friend of theirs who will be using it for scrap metal. Ever vigilant, the doctor notes that Israel must not have the same laws as Canada related to defacing currency.
The bank notes come in 20, 50, 100, and 200 shekel bills, while the coins come in 0.1, 1/2, 1, 2, 5, 10 shekel. Here is what the currency looks like (click the picture to see a larger version).
This year, the bills are being replaced with newer versions (the bills on the right). Some of the bills, such as the 20 shekel and 100 shekel ones, have yet to be circulated, hence the red 'specimen' label. To find out more about who and what is featured on the Israeli currency click here.
The current exchange rate is about 0.36 CAD to 1 NIS, or 2.75 NIS to 1 CAD, roughly a 3x difference. This means that the 200 shekel bill works out to about $70, while the 0.1 shekel coin (also known as 10 agora) is about 4 cents. They used to have 1 and 5 agorot pieces, but those were discontinued in 1991 and 2008, respectively
Unlike the doctor, who has a fancy credit card and doesn't really have to use the Israeli currency, my wallet is full of 10 agarot pieces from my weekly grocery shopping trips and is getting quite heavy! According to the doctor's colleague, the metal from the 10 agarot piece is worth more than the 10 agora, so we'll be saving ours up to sell to a friend of theirs who will be using it for scrap metal. Ever vigilant, the doctor notes that Israel must not have the same laws as Canada related to defacing currency.
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