Which currency was the first national currency of independent Israel in 1952?

The first national currency of independent Israel in 1952 was the Israeli pound. It replaced the Palestine pound, which had continued circulating after Israel declared independence in 1948.

The Israeli pound was introduced by the Anglo-Palestine Bank, later renamed Bank Leumi, under authority granted by Israel’s government. Early notes used Hebrew, Arabic, and English, reflecting the country’s administrative and linguistic history. The currency’s Hebrew name was lira yisraelit.

Israel replaced the pound with the shekel in 1980 at a rate of 10 pounds to 1 shekel. A second major reform created the new Israeli shekel in 1985, with 1,000 old shekels equal to one new shekel. Thus, the modern Israeli shekel should not be confused with the earlier pound.