New Syrian banknote may be more than meets the eye
Syria has issued a new 2,000-pound banknote sporting the face of President Bashar al-Assad; not surprisingly, the opposition refuses to use it.
ALEPPO, Syria — The Central Bank of Syria is circulating new 2,000-pound banknotes in all cities under the regime’s control, topping the previously largest denomination of 1,000 pounds and helping to shrink the wads of cash residents have been forced to carry because of the currency's devaluation since the ongoing civil war began in 2011.
Central Bank Governor Duraid Durgham said in a July 2 press conference in Damascus, “Given the worn nature of the bills currently in circulation, the central bank saw that it was the appropriate time to release the 2,000-pound banknote on the market. It is highly secure because it is not easily forged, and it is distinguishable.”
