
The Israeli Shekel Symbol is a bit of a mystery to many, but it's actually quite straightforward once you understand its history and usage.
The Israeli Shekel symbol is ILS, which stands for Israeli New Shekel.
The Shekel has a rich history, dating back to ancient times when it was used as a unit of currency in the region.
The modern Israeli Shekel was introduced in 1980, replacing the Israeli Lira.
History of the Israeli Shekel
The Israeli Shekel has a rich history that spans over five decades. It was introduced in 1980, replacing the Israeli Lira at a rate of 1,000 Lira to 1 Shekel.
The Shekel was initially pegged to the US dollar at a rate of 1.82 Shekels to the dollar. This rate was maintained until 1985 when the Israeli government decided to float the currency.
The Shekel has undergone several redesigns over the years, with the latest design being introduced in 2014.
New (1986–Present)
The new Israeli shekel was announced officially on 22 September 1985, marking the beginning of a new era for the currency.
The shekel sign is constructed by combining the two Hebrew letters that constitute the acronym NIS, which is the Hebrew abbreviation for the new shekel. The symbol is usually placed left of the number, but since Hebrew is written from right to left, this means the symbol is actually written after the number.
In Hebrew, the new shekel sign is often represented by the symbol ⟨₪⟩, which is part of the Unicode 20AA. This symbol is used in various contexts, including on road signs announcing the entrance to Israeli toll roads.
The Academy of the Hebrew Language recommends writing the sign to the left of the number without a space between them. This is a standard convention that helps maintain consistency in writing monetary amounts.
The new shekel sign is not used as frequently when handwriting monetary amounts, unlike the dollar sign.
(1980–1985)
The old Israeli shekel was in circulation between 1980 and 1985. It had a unique symbol, a stylized Shin, which appeared on checks issued by Israeli banks during this time.
This symbol was officially announced on 18 March 1980, marking a change from the lack of a special symbol for the Israeli currency prior to 1980.
Old shekel checks that remained unused had to be stamped with the new shekel symbol over the old symbol when quoting prices in new shekels started officially on 1 January 1986.
What Is the
The shekel sign is a widely recognized symbol, represented by ₪. It's the official symbol for the shekel, the currency of Israel. The shekel is commonly referred to simply as "shekel" and is abbreviated as "ILS".
Using the Israeli Shekel Symbol
The standard format for writing shekels in Israel is to place the currency symbol before the amount, with a period as the decimal separator and commas for thousands separators. For example, ₪1,234.56 is the standard way to write it.
Always use the currency code "ILS" for further clarity, especially in international transactions or communications with multiple currencies. This helps avoid confusion and ensures clarity.
Here are the key rules to keep in mind:
Guidelines for Sign Use
The Israeli Shekel symbol, ₪, is widely used in Israel, but it's essential to use it correctly to avoid confusion. Always use the currency code "ILS" for further clarity in contexts with multiple currencies.
The standard format for writing amounts in shekels is with the currency symbol preceding the amount, a period as the decimal separator, and commas for thousands separators. For example, ₪1,234.56 is the standard way to write an amount in shekels.
The symbol placement is also crucial. In the standard format, the symbol is placed directly before the amount, with no space in between, as seen in ₪50.
In Israel, the decimal separator is a period, and the thousands separator is a comma. This means that ₪4.99 and ₪1,234.56 are both correctly formatted amounts in shekels.
Here are the key guidelines for using the shekel symbol:
- Standard Format: ₪1,234.56 (currency symbol preceding the amount, period as decimal separator, and commas for thousands separators)
- Symbol Placement: No space between symbol and amount (e.g. ₪50)
- Decimal Separator: Period (e.g. ₪4.99)
- Thousands Separator: Comma (e.g. ₪1,234.56)
- Official Currency Codes: Always use "ILS" for shekel and avoid other abbreviations
How to Type Special Signs Using Keyboard Shortcuts and Alt Codes
To type special signs like the Israeli Shekel symbol, you can use keyboard shortcuts and Alt codes.
On Windows, you can hold down the Alt key and type the appropriate code on the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key. The specific code might vary by keyboard layout and language settings.
For HTML coding, you can use the named entity &sheqel; or the numeric entity ₪.
If you're on a Mac, you might need to check for specific keyboard layouts or use the Character Viewer to find the Shekel sign.
Typing the Israeli Shekel Symbol
You can type the Israeli shekel symbol on different operating systems using various methods.
On Windows, hold down the Alt key and type the appropriate code on the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key. The specific code might vary by keyboard layout and language settings.
For HTML coding, use the named entity &sheqel; or the numeric entity ₪.
On many Linux systems, the method to type the symbol varies based on the desktop environment.
On Mac, check for specific keyboard layouts or use Character Viewer.
The symbol has the Unicode code point U+20AA₪NEW SHEQEL SIGN, which has been in Unicode since June 1993, version 1.1.0.
Here's a summary of the methods to type the Israeli shekel symbol on different systems:
The Shekel sign can be typed on modern Microsoft Windows, desktop Linux, and ChromeOS by using AltGr+4 when the system is set to a Hebrew keyboard layout.
Previous Currencies
The Israeli shekel has a rich history, and its evolution is closely tied to the country's economic development.
The Israeli shekel was first introduced in 1980, replacing the old Israeli pound, which had been the country's currency since 1948.
Before the Israeli shekel, the Israeli pound was divided into 1,000 mils, a currency unit that was introduced in 1952.
The Israeli pound was pegged to the US dollar until 1971, when the country switched to a floating exchange rate.
The Israeli shekel was initially divided into 100 agora, but this subunit was phased out in 1986.
The Israeli shekel has undergone several revaluations over the years, with the most recent one taking place in 2008.
5 Unknown Things About the New Currency
The Israeli new shekel is a fascinating currency with a rich history. It was introduced in 1986 to replace the old shekel, which had been in circulation since 1980.
One interesting fact about the new shekel is that it's divided into 100 agorot. The agorot is the smallest unit of currency in Israel.
The new shekel has undergone several changes since its introduction. In 2008, the Israeli government decided to remove three zeros from the currency to make it easier to use.
The Israeli new shekel is a widely accepted currency, but it's not widely traded on the foreign exchange market. This is because Israel has a relatively small economy and a closed capital account.
The new shekel has a unique symbol, ₪, which is used to represent the currency.
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