...Syria - 5000 Pounds 2023 Two Notes

ٱلْجُمْهُورِيَّةُ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّةُ ٱلسُّورِيَّةُ

(Syrian Arab Republic)

مصرف سورية المركزي

(Central Bank of Syria)

Currency - Pound (SYP)

 

Here are two 5000 pounds banknotes printed both with the same Gregorian year date of 2023. Whilst both are dated the same, the notes were not issued during the same Islamic calendar year. One note was released in the year 1444 (Islamic years ١٤٤٤ - prior to March 2023) and the other one was in 1445 (١٤٤۵ after April 2023). It is believed that these are the only two notes issued in 2023.

It seems that since 2021, the central bank has only issued the 5000 pounds banknotes. The civil war started in 2011 has basically devalued the Syrian pounds substantially. In January 2011, one Syrian pound was worth around US$0.021. In January 2024, it went down to US$0.0000769. The value of this note was worth US$106.80 back in 2011 to US$0.2845 in 2024. This must be the reason that only the 5000 pounds notes were issued as other lower denominations may not have much purchasing power since 2021. It should be noted that this 5000 pounds banknote was not introduced back then until 2019. 

 

Five Thousand Pounds

 

Front - The front of the note depicts a soldier saluting with a Syrian billowing flag on the right side of the note. This flag has since been replaced following the fall of the Assad's family regime in 2024. The flag printed on this note is in mono colour. The actual flag is in red-white-black tricolour with two green stars on the white strip. This flag originally came from the 1958 United Arab Republic and was re-adopted in 1980, representing pan-Arab unity under the Ba'athist government. This flag has since been replaced with green-white-black tricolour with three red stars in the middle.  

 

Signatures:-

Minister of Finance - Kenan Yaghi (tenure 2020-2024)

Governor - Muhammad Issam Hazima (tenure 2021-2024) 

Date - 2023 (١٤٤٤/1444) 

Watermarks - Coat of Arms & electrotype 5000

Sizes - 158mm x 65mm

Back - On the back, it depicts an eagle and Yarhibol (Sun God) of the Baalshamin temple in Palmyra. The Baalshamin temple in Palmyra is an ancient temple and was reportedly built in 115AD. This temple is situated in the center of Syria and in 1980 UNESCO designated this temple as a World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, during the civil war in 2015, the temple was badly damaged/destroyed following the capture of the city of Palmyra by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.  

Five Thousand Pounds

  

  

 

Signatures:-

Minister of Finance - Kenan Yaghi (tenure 2020-2024)

Governor - Muhammad Issam Hazima (tenure 2021-2024) 

Date - 2023 (١٤٤۵/1445) 

Watermarks - Coat of Arms & electrotype 5000

Sizes - 157.5mm x 65mm

 

As news reported from Syria back in late December 2025, the government of Syria completed a currency reform on the Syrian pounds on 01.01.2026 with the new banknotes exchange with the ratio of 1:100. Therefore, this 5000 pounds should have been worth 50 pounds since then. All previously issued notes for 2000 and 5000 pounds remain legal tender for 3 months and are available to exchange for the new 2026 series. It is not sure if this condition also applies to the remaining denominations.