10 Agorot
Obverse: Date palm tree. Lettring ישראל in Hebrew and اسرائيل in Arabic languages. Reverse: Denomination and lettering אגורות תשכ״ב in Hebrew.
Total 247,874,000 coins minted from 1960 to 1977.

The Agora (/æɡəˈrɑː/; plural Agorot /-ˈrɒt/;[1] Hebrew: אגורה, pl. אגורות‎, agorot) is a denomination of the currency of Israel. The Israeli currency – the Israeli new shekel (ILS)– is divided into 100 agorot.

History

The name agora refers to the subunits of three distinct Israeli currencies.

This name was used for the first time in 1960, when the Israeli government decided to change the subdivision of the Israeli pound (Hebrew: לירה, lira) from 1,000 prutah to 100 agorot due to the currency's depreciation.[2] The name was suggested by the Academy of the Hebrew Language, and was borrowed from the Hebrew Bible:

וְהָיָה כָּל-הַנּוֹתָר בְּבֵיתְךָ יָבוֹא לְהִשְׁתַּחֲו‍ֹת לוֹ לַאֲגוֹרַת כֶּסֶף וְכִכַּר-לָחֶם
...every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread...

— I Samuel 2:36

The term "piece of silver" appears in Hebrew as "agorat kessef".

In 1980 the Israeli pound was replaced by the shekel at a rate of IL10 per IS 1. The new subdivision of the shekel was named agora ẖadaša ("new agora"). There were 100 new agorot in 1 shekel. The high rate of inflation in Israel in the early 1980s forced the Israeli government to change the Israeli currency once again in 1985. The new shekel was introduced at a rate of 1000 S per 1 NS. The name agora was used once again for its subdivision. This time the term "new" was avoided, in order to prevent confusion with the older subdivision (the pre-1980 agora was long since out of circulation). Currently, the term agora refers to the 100th part of the new shekel. There are coins of 10 and 50 agorot, though the 50 agorot coin bears the inscription: "1⁄2 New Shekel".

The 1 agora coin was withdrawn from circulation on April 1, 1991 by the Bank of Israel,[3] as was the 5 agorot coin on January 1, 2008; in each case the value had shrunk to much less than the cost of production. Cash rounding has since been applied for purchases, such that the total price is now rounded to the nearest multiple of 10 agorot for payment in cash, but to 1 agorot for payment by other means like payment cards or cheques.

Issues

Israeli pound

ImageValueTechnical parameters DescriptionDate of
Diameter (mm) Mass (g) Composition Obverse Reverse Issue Withdrawal
1 agora 20 1.03 aluminium 97%, magnesium 3% Three ears of barley, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic Value, date 01.01.1960 22.02.1980
5 agorot 17.5 2.30 (copper) 0.8 (alum.) 1960—1975: copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2%

1976—1979: aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%

 Three pomegranates, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic
10 agorot 21.5 4.15 (copper) 1.55 (alum.) 1960—1977: copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2%

1978—1979: aluminium 97%, magnesium 3%

 Palm tree, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic
25 agorot 25.5 6.5 copper 92%, aluminium 6%, nickel 2% Lyre, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic
IL1⁄2 24.5 6.8 copper 75%, nickel 25% The state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English 12.09.1963 31.03.1984

Old Israeli shekel

Old shekel coins
ImageValueTechnical parameters DescriptionDate of
Diameter (mm) Mass (g) Composition Obverse Reverse Issue Withdrawal
1 new agora 15 0.6 aluminium 97%, magnesium 3% Palm tree, "Israel" in Hebrew and Arabic Value, date 24.02.1980
 04.09.1986
5 new agorot 18.5 0.9 The state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English
10 new agorot 16 2.1 copper 92%, nickel 8% Three pomegranates, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English
IS1⁄2 20 3 copper 75%, nickel 25% Lion, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English Value, date, two stars

Israeli new shekel

New shekel coin series
ImageValueTechnical parametersDescriptionDate of
DiameterThicknessMassCompositionEdgeObverseReverseIssueWithdrawal
1 agora 17 mm 1.2 mm 2 g Aluminium bronze
92% copper
6% aluminium
2% nickel		 Plain Ancient galley, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English Value, date 4 September 1985 1 April 1991
5 agorot 19.5 mm 1.3 mm 3 g Replica of a coin from the fourth year of the war of the Jews against Rome depicting a lulav between two etrogim, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English 1 January 2008
10 agorot/

₪1⁄10

 22 mm 1.5 mm 4 g Replica of a coin issued by Antigonus II Mattathias with the seven-branched candelabrum, the state emblem, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English Current
50 agorot/ ₪1⁄2 26 mm 1.6 mm 6.5 g Lyre, the state emblem Value, date, "Israel" in Hebrew, Arabic and English

See also

References

  1. ↑ "agora2". The Chambers Dictionary (9th ed.). Chambers. 2003. ISBN 0-550-10105-5.
  2. ↑ Banknotes and Coins of Israel: 1927–2006, Yigal Arkin, Bank of Israel, Currency Dept., 2006, p.91
  3. ↑ The Numismatist, American Numismatic Association, 1993, p.886
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