50 Israeli Lirot Banknote (Type 1968)

50 Lirot Israeli Lira (Issued 1968)

By 1968, the Bank of Israel had been operating as the country’s central monetary authority for over a decade, having been established under the Bank of Israel Law of 1954 to manage monetary policy, regulate the banking sector, and issue the national currency. The Israeli Lira, also known as the Israeli pound, served as the country’s official currency throughout this period, underpinned by a series of progressively redesigned banknotes that reflected both the maturing of Israel’s financial institutions and the nation’s evolving national identity. The 50 Lirot denomination represented a significant value within the Lira series, intended for larger transactions at a time when Israel’s economy was undergoing considerable growth and industrialisation. This 1968 issue forms part of the broader 1950s–1970s Lira series, a set of notes that bridged Israel’s early statehood with its later transition to the Sheqel.

On the front, the dominant feature is a finely engraved portrait of Chaim Weizmann, the distinguished scientist and statesman who served as the first President of Israel, positioned to the right of the note in a three-quarter facing composition rendered with considerable intaglio depth and tonal precision. Weizmann is depicted in a dark suit with a tie, his expression composed and authoritative, with fine cross-hatching used throughout the portrait to build shadow and texture across his face and clothing. The overall colour palette of the front is warm brown and tan, with the central denomination numeral “50” printed in a bold, darker brown within an ornate framework of guilloché-style patterning and rosette work. To the left of the central numeral, an elegant botanical illustration of an olive branch with leaves and a stylised anemone flower rendered in olive-green and brown tones provides a strong vertical decorative element. The Hebrew text “בנק ישראל” — Bank of Israel — appears prominently across the upper portion of the note in bold lettering, while the denomination in Hebrew script, reading “חמישים לירות ישראליות” meaning fifty Israeli pounds, is set centrally in clear, structured typography. Two facsimile signatures appear in the lower portion of the note, one to the left and one to the right of centre, accompanied by their respective titles in Hebrew identifying the Governor and the Director General of the Bank of Israel. The year 1968 and the Hebrew year equivalent תשכ”ח appear in small print in the lower right area. A small denomination numeral “50” also appears in the lower right corner, and the overall paper carries a subtle cream tone with visible security fibres embedded throughout.

The reverse presents a highly detailed architectural engraving of the Knesset building — Israel’s parliament — rendered in reddish-brown ink against a background of intricate blue and green guilloché wave patterns that sweep across the upper and side portions of the note. The Knesset is depicted in a frontal perspective, showing its distinctive modernist colonnade facade, wide steps, and elevated platform, with a row of trees rendered in olive-green tones occupying the lower foreground. To the upper left of the building, the Menorah symbol of the State of Israel — the seven-branched candelabrum — appears within a small emblem, printed in gold-olive tones. The text “בנק ישראל” in Hebrew appears along the upper edge alongside the English text “BANK OF ISRAEL” and the Arabic equivalent “بنك إسرائيل” running along the lower margin, reflecting the trilingual nature of official Israeli currency. The serial number 94020421 ט/7 appears twice — once in the upper right area and once in the lower left — printed in a reddish-violet ink. The denomination numerals “50” appear in the upper right corner in dark print, and a smaller “50” appears in the lower left. The reverse colour scheme transitions from the warm reddish-brown of the central architectural engraving through to cooler blue-green guilloché borders, creating a layered visual security effect across the full surface of the note.

Exchange foreign coins and notes with no fuss: Webuyallcurrency.com accepts this 50 Lirot Israeli Lira banknote and other old or withdrawn Israeli Pounds banknotes, paying out for everything together in a single transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 50 Lirot Israeli Lira banknotes you want to exchange
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Whether you want to sell foreign coins and notes or exchange leftover currency from past trips, Webuyallcurrency.com accepts Israeli Pounds banknotes alongside modern money and settles everything in a single, easy transaction.

Other Israeli Pounds you can exchange: 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 100, 500.