Exchange Currency
Jordanian dinar
The dinar is the currency of Jordan. The dinar is divided into 10 dirham, 100 qirsh (also called piastres) or 1000 fils.
The Jordanian dinar continued to be used in the West Bank along with Israeli currency after Israel took control of it in 1967. During Israel's hyperinflation in the 1970s and 1980s, the Jordanian currency provided stability.
Jordan became the Emirate of Transjordan on April 11, 1921, and the Kingdom of Transjordan on May 25, 1946. Transjordan became an independent constitutional state in 1927, although the British mandate did not end and independence did not come until March 22, 1948. Jordan, as it was called from April 3, 1949, formally annexed the West Bank of the Jordan River in April 1950 after hostilities with the newly created state of Israel had ceased in 1949.
Ottoman Empire Piastres (XOTP) circulated in Jordan while it was part of the Ottoman Empire. Egyptian Pounds (EGP) circulated in Jordan from 1918 until November 1, 1927 when the Palestine Pound (PSP) was created. The Palestine Pound was issued by the Palestine Currency Board.
After Israel created its own currency, the Palestine Currency Board became the Jordan Currency Board. The Jordanian Dinar (JOD) replaced the Palestinian Pound on July 1, 1950 at par with the Palestine Pound. On October 1, 1965, The Jordanian Central Bank was established to become the sole note-issuing authority in Jordan. The Egyptian Pound was divisible into 100 Piastres, the Palestine Pound was divisible into 1000 Mils, the Jordanian Dinar was divisible into 10 Dirhams or 1000 Fils until 1993, and has been divisible into 10 Piastres or 1000 Fils since 1993.
Before 1949, Jordan used the Palestinian pound as its currency. The dinar was introduced at par with this pound.
Until 1992, coins were denominated in Arabic using fils, qirsh, dirham and dinar but in English only in fils and dinar. Since 1992, the fils and dirham are no longer used in the Arabic denominations and the English denominations are given in dinar and either qirsh or piastres. For a wider history surrounding currency in the region, see British currency in the Middle East.
Summary info
Summary information about Jordanian dinar- ISO 4217 Code:
- JOD
- Currency sign:
- دينار
- Country:
- Jordan, West Bank
- Subunit:
- dirham, piastre, fils
- Coins:
- ½ qirsh, 1 qirsh, 2½ piastres, 5 piastres, 10 piastres, ¼ dinar, ½ dinar, 1 dinar
- Banknotes:
- 1 dinar, 5 dinars, 10 dinars, 20 dinars, 50 dinars
- Central bank:
- Central Bank of Jordan
History
Greek silver coins probably reached Jordan around the fifth century BC, but coins werent issued in Jordan until the Nabataean King Aretas II (87-62) began issuing coins from his capital of Petra. Northern Jordan fell under Roman control around 64 BC and Trajan annexed the Nabataean kingdom in AD 106. Locally produced denarii and Syrian tetradrachms circulated in Jordan until the fall of Rome when Byzantine coins began to supplant Roman coins. Jordan fell under Islamic rule under the Umayyads (661-750) and Islamic coins began to be used in Jordan in the 680s. Islamic coins from Syria, Iraq and Egypt circulated in Jordan until the British occupied it in 1918.Jordan became the Emirate of Transjordan on April 11, 1921, and the Kingdom of Transjordan on May 25, 1946. Transjordan became an independent constitutional state in 1927, although the British mandate did not end and independence did not come until March 22, 1948. Jordan, as it was called from April 3, 1949, formally annexed the West Bank of the Jordan River in April 1950 after hostilities with the newly created state of Israel had ceased in 1949.
Ottoman Empire Piastres (XOTP) circulated in Jordan while it was part of the Ottoman Empire. Egyptian Pounds (EGP) circulated in Jordan from 1918 until November 1, 1927 when the Palestine Pound (PSP) was created. The Palestine Pound was issued by the Palestine Currency Board.
After Israel created its own currency, the Palestine Currency Board became the Jordan Currency Board. The Jordanian Dinar (JOD) replaced the Palestinian Pound on July 1, 1950 at par with the Palestine Pound. On October 1, 1965, The Jordanian Central Bank was established to become the sole note-issuing authority in Jordan. The Egyptian Pound was divisible into 100 Piastres, the Palestine Pound was divisible into 1000 Mils, the Jordanian Dinar was divisible into 10 Dirhams or 1000 Fils until 1993, and has been divisible into 10 Piastres or 1000 Fils since 1993.
Before 1949, Jordan used the Palestinian pound as its currency. The dinar was introduced at par with this pound.
Until 1992, coins were denominated in Arabic using fils, qirsh, dirham and dinar but in English only in fils and dinar. Since 1992, the fils and dirham are no longer used in the Arabic denominations and the English denominations are given in dinar and either qirsh or piastres. For a wider history surrounding currency in the region, see British currency in the Middle East.
Coins
Coins were introduced in 1949 in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 fils. The first issue of 1 fils were mistakenly minted with the denomination given as "1 fil". 20 fils coins were minted until 1965, with 25 fils introduced in 1968 and ¼ dinar coins in 1970. The 1 fils coin was last minted in 1985. In 1996, smaller ¼ dinar coins were introduced alongside ½ and 1 dinar coins.Banknotes
In 1949, banknotes were issued by the government in denominations of 500 fils, 1, 5, 10 and 50 dinar. From 1959, the Central Bank of Jordan took over note production. 20 dinar notes were introduced in 1977, followed by 50 dinar in 1999. ½ dinar notes were replaced by coins in 1999.JOD banknotes pictures gallery
| 1 Jordanian dinar | |
|---|---|
| Banknote of 1 Jordanian dinar has dimensions 133×74 mm and main colors are fern green, asparagus, cambridge blue and pale silver. Date of issue of 1 Jordanian dinar banknote was March 30, 2003. | |
 Obverse side of the 1 Jordanian dinar is showing the portrait of Sharif Hussein bin Ali. |
 Reverse side of the 1 Jordanian dinar is showing the Great Arab Revolt. |
| 5 Jordanian dinar | |
|---|---|
| Banknote of 5 Jordanian dinar has dimensions 137×74 mm and main colors are pale taupe, desert sand, tumbleweed and beaver. Date of issue of 5 Jordanian dinars banknote was December 22, 2002. | |
 Obverse side of the 5 Jordanian dinar is showing the portrait of Abdullah bin al-Hussein. |
 Reverse side of the 5 Jordanian dinar is showing the Ma’an Palace. |
| 10 Jordanian dinar | |
|---|---|
| Banknote of 10 Jordanian dinar has dimensions 141×74 mm and main colors are dark slate blue, glaucous, gray and ceil. Date of issue of 10 Jordanian dinars banknote was December 22, 2002. | |
 Obverse side of the 10 Jordanian dinar is showing the portrait of Talal bin Abdullah. |
 Reverse side of the 10 Jordanian dinar is showing the First Jordanian Parliament Building. |
| 20 Jordanian dinar | |
|---|---|
| Banknote of 20 Jordanian dinar has dimensions 145×74 mm and main colors are outer space, aurometalsaurus, cadet grey and silver. Date of issue of 20 Jordanian dinars banknote was February 2, 2003. | |
 Obverse side of the 20 Jordanian dinar is showing the portrait of Hussein bin Talal. |
 Reverse side of the 20 Jordanian dinar is showing the Dome of the Rock. |
| 50 Jordanian dinar | |
|---|---|
| Banknote of 50 Jordanian dinar has dimensions 149×74 mm and main colors are fallow, desert sand, raw umber and manatee. Date of issue of 50 Jordanian dinars banknote was February 2, 2003. | |
 Obverse side of the 50 Jordanian dinar is showing the portrait of King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein. |
 Reverse side of the 50 Jordanian dinar is showing the Raghadan Palace. |
Useful links
- About Central Bank of Jordan:
- Central Bank of Jordan
- List of currencies:
- Currencies
- Security and design features of JOD banknotes:
- JOD banknotes
- JOD currency on Wikipedia:
- Jordanian dinar
- Official Website of Central Bank of Jordan:
- www.cbj.gov.jo
- Commemorative coins:
- Commemorative Coins