10 Israeli Lirot Banknote (Type 1968)

10 Lirot Israeli Lira (Issued 1968)

Issued in 1968, just a year after the Six-Day War reshaped the political and territorial landscape of the Middle East, this 10 Lirot banknote from the Bank of Israel reflects a period of intense nation-building and economic consolidation for the young state. The Israeli Lira, also known as the Israeli pound, was the country’s principal currency from 1952 until its replacement by the shekel in 1980, and notes from this era carry the visual confidence of a society asserting its cultural and civic identity. The 1968 issue sits within a broader family of Lira denominations that drew upon Zionist history, agricultural symbolism, and architectural heritage. As a withdrawn currency, these notes are no longer legal tender but remain exchangeable through specialist services in the United Kingdom.

On the front, the dominant feature is a finely engraved portrait of Chaim Weizmann, the first President of Israel and a pivotal figure in the Zionist movement, positioned to the right of the note in a formal three-quarter facing composition rendered in deep purple and grey tones. The engraving captures Weizmann’s distinctive features with considerable precision, conveying authority and statesmanship. To the left of the portrait, a decorative floral arrangement is printed in warm olive greens, pinks, and ochre tones, depicting what appears to be a flowering plant with broad leaves and a prominent red blossom — a striking contrast to the more restrained palette of the portrait side. The denomination numeral “10” appears prominently in large stylised figures in the centre-left area, printed in purple and gold tones, and is repeated in smaller form in the lower-right corner against a guilloché-style circular rosette pattern also rendered in purple. The issuing authority text “בנק ישראל” (Bank of Israel) is printed in bold Hebrew characters across the upper portion of the note in dark ink. Below this, the denomination text “עשר לירות ישראליות” — meaning “Ten Israeli Pounds” — is set in large, bold Hebrew lettering in dark purple, forming the visual centrepiece of the note’s left half. A facsimile signature appears in the lower-centre area alongside the Hebrew text “נייר הבנק” (bank note). The overall background is a pale cream with subtle guilloché patterning providing anti-counterfeiting texture across the entire surface.

The reverse presents a detailed engraved vignette of a historic building set amid lush gardens, identifiable as the Weizmann House in Rehovot — the former residence of Chaim Weizmann, whose portrait graces the front. The architectural rendering is executed in olive green, brown, and grey-green tones, showing a white Mediterranean-style structure with a domed turret, arched ground-floor openings, and large windows on the upper storey. Surrounding the building is dense vegetation including tall palm trees, cypress trees, broad-leafed shrubs, and flowering plants, all engraved with fine cross-hatching that gives the scene depth and texture. The background of the reverse is dominated by an elaborate guilloché pattern in soft mauve, violet, and warm gold tones, creating a decorative oval frame effect around the central vignette. “בנק ישראל” appears again in Hebrew across the upper section, while “BANK OF ISRAEL” is printed in Roman capitals along the lower margin. The serial number “60919741ה/5” appears twice — once in the upper-right area and once in the lower-left — printed in blue ink. The denomination numeral “10” appears in the lower-right corner in a guilloché rosette, echoing the front design, and again more prominently to the upper left of the vignette in stylised numerals. The paper shows a consistent light cream tone with fine security fibres and subtle show-through from the front’s floral design visible when held to the light.

Sell foreign coins and banknotes the simple way: this 10 Lirot banknote can be exchanged through Webuyallcurrency.com together with other old or withdrawn Israeli Pounds banknotes, all settled in a single transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 10 Lirot Israeli Lira banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

If you have leftover currency to exchange, Webuyallcurrency.com accepts Israeli Pounds banknotes and a wide range of other foreign coins and notes, paying out for the lot in a single straightforward transaction.

Other Israeli Pounds you can exchange: 0.5, 1, 5, 50, 100, 500.