100 ILP #648

Front

Zion Gate (Sha'ar Tzion) in the Old City of Jerusalem, one of the eight gates in the walls of the Old City. Built in 1540 by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, this gate on the southern wall provides access to the Jewish and Armenian Quarters and faces Mount Zion. The gate shows distinctive Ottoman architecture with its stone masonry and arched entrance, and an olive tree is depicted alongside. The Hebrew inscription 'בנק ישראל' (Bank of Israel) appears at top.

Back

Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882), Italian general, patriot and key figure in the Italian Risorgimento who contributed to Italian unification. His inclusion on this Israeli banknote reflects the historical connection between Italy and the early State of Israel, as well as Garibaldi's reputation as a freedom fighter. The Italian text 'LIRE MILLE' and 'BANCA D'ITALIA' with 'PAGABILI A VISTA AL PORTATORE' appears with Italian state emblems, indicating this is actually the reverse of an Italian 1000 Lire note, suggesting a mismatched pair of images.

History

The front shows an Israeli 100 Lirot (Lira) note from the series issued 1968–1975 by the Bank of Israel. The Israeli Lira (plural: Lirot) replaced the Palestine Pound in 1952 at par and circulated until 1980 when it was replaced by the Shekel during a period of high inflation. The reverse image depicts Giuseppe Garibaldi from an Italian 1000 Lire note issued by Banca d'Italia, not the reverse of the Israeli note. These are two different banknotes from different countries and eras. The Israeli Lira featured various historical and cultural subjects; the 100 Lirot denomination commonly depicted Zion Gate. No serial-year encoding is documented for Bank of Israel Lira series notes.