5 Israeli Lirot Banknote (Workman)

5 Lirot Israeli Lira (Issued 1958)

The typography on the 1958 five lirot banknote speaks directly to the young state’s dual linguistic identity, with the issuing authority’s name rendered in bold Hebrew script — בנק ישראל — across the upper portion of the note, balanced by the denomination declaration חמש לירות ישראליות along the lower register. The numeral “5” appears prominently in the upper corners in a clean, assertive typeface that anchors the design with unmistakable clarity. The date תשי”ח, corresponding to 1958 in the Hebrew calendar, is printed in the lower central area alongside the signatures of the bank’s officials, grounding the note in both civil and religious timekeeping traditions of the new Israeli state. This layering of scripts and numbering systems communicates a conscious effort to establish national monetary identity through typographic authority.

On the front, the dominant image is a labourer depicted in strong intaglio engraving, shown from approximately the waist up and turned slightly to the left, carrying a heavy tool — a hammer or mallet — resting across his right shoulder. He wears a flat worker’s cap and an open-collared shirt, and his posture conveys physical effort and industrial purpose, reflecting the nation-building spirit of Israel’s early statehood. Behind him, rendered in detailed fine-line engraving, stands an industrial facility with tall cylindrical towers and a large storage tank or silo, suggestive of a chemical plant or refinery, likely referencing the Dead Sea Works or similar industrial infrastructure of the period. The overall colour palette is a warm terracotta and burnt sienna, printed on cream-toned paper with subtle background guilloché patterning that adds depth and security to the design. Two facsimile signatures appear in the lower right area, accompanied by Hebrew text identifying the signatories as the Governor and Head of the Bank of Israel. The serial number and series letter appear in the lower left of the note, printed in the same brown ink. The engraving style throughout is precise and deeply etched, characteristic of the intaglio printing traditions employed by leading security printers of the mid-twentieth century.

The reverse presents an ancient seal reproduced at the centre of the composition — a circular signet depicting a roaring lion in profile, facing right with its tail raised, rendered in fine engraving within a circular border. This motif is identified by a caption in Hebrew below it as the Seal of Shema, Servant of Jeroboam — חותם שמע עבד ירבעם — one of the most celebrated ancient Hebrew seals, dating from the period of the First Temple and regarded as an icon of early Israelite civilisation. The seal is flanked by ancient script characters within its circumference. The upper portion of the reverse carries בנק ישראל in Hebrew script and “BANK OF ISRAEL” in Latin characters along the right edge, while the lower border displays بنك إسرائيل in Arabic, reflecting the trilingual statutory requirements of the currency. The serial number 176087 W/1 appears twice — in the upper left and lower right — printed in a clear serif typeface. The denomination numeral “5” features again in the lower left corner and is echoed by a small circular rosette design to the right. The background is formed from a fine, evenly applied mesh of warm beige and light sienna tones, and an oval watermark zone is clearly visible to the left of centre, left unprinted to allow the paper’s security watermark to be examined against transmitted light. The overall design of the reverse is restrained and scholarly, anchoring the modern currency firmly in deep historical continuity.

Looking to exchange leftover currency? Your 1958 five lirot banknote can be sold to Webuyallcurrency.com alongside other old or withdrawn Israeli Pounds banknotes, turning spare money from a trip or collection into cash in one simple transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 5 Lirot Israeli Lira banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com makes it easy to sell foreign coins and banknotes for cash, taking Israeli Pounds banknotes along with modern and withdrawn currency so everything is converted in one step.

Other Israeli Pounds you can exchange: 0.5, 1, 10, 50, 100, 500.