The lempira (/lɛmˈpɪrə/, sign: L, ISO 4217 code: HNL;Spanish pronunciation: [lemˈpiɾa]) is the currency of Honduras. It is subdivided into 100 centavos.[2]
| lempira hondureño (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
 200 lempira banknote | |
| ISO 4217 | |
| Code | HNL (numeric: 340) |
| Subunit | 0.01 |
| Unit | |
| Symbol | L |
| Denominations | |
| Banknotes | L1, L2, L5, L10, L20, L50, L100, L200, L500 |
| Coins | 5, 10, 20, 50 centavos |
| Demographics | |
| Date of introduction | 1931 |
| Replaced | Honduran peso |
| User(s) |  Honduras |
| Issuance | |
| Central bank | Central Bank of Honduras |
| Website | www |
| Printer | Polish Security Printing Works[1] |
| Website | Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych |
| Valuation | |
| Inflation | 7.7% |
| Source | Central Bank of Honduras, June 2011. |
Etymology
editThe lempira was named after the 16th-century cacique Lempira, a ruler of the indigenous Lenca people, who is renowned in Honduran folklore for leading the local native resistance against the Spanish conquistador forces. He is a national hero and is honored on both the 1 lempira note and the 20 and 50 centavos coins.
History
editThe lempira was introduced in 1931, replacing the peso at par. In the late 1980s, the exchange rate was two lempiras to the United States dollar (the 20-centavos coin is called a daime as it was worth the same as a U.S. dime). As of April 4, 2022, the lempira was quoted at 24.40 HNL to US$1.[3]
Coins
edit
In 1931, coins were introduced in denominations of 5, 20 & 50 centavos, and 1 lempira. One, 2 and 10 centavos coins were added in 1935, 1939 and 1932, respectively. The silver 1 lempira coins ceased production in 1937, with the other silver coins (20 & 50 centavos) replaced by cupro-nickel in 1967. The 1 and 2 centavos coins were last minted in 1998 and 1974, respectively.
Coins of the following denominations are currently legal tender.[4] However as of 2024 coins are only very rarely used for payments. In practice only banknotes are used.
- 1 centavo
- 2 centavos
- 5 centavos
- 10 centavos
- 20 centavos
- 50 centavos
Banknotes
editThe Bank of Honduras and the Banco Atlantida issued the first lempira banknotes in 1932. They were in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 lempiras. The Central Bank of Honduras took over production of paper money in 1950, introducing 50 and 100 lempiras notes in 1950, followed by the 500-lempiras note in 1995.
In January, 2010, a new 20-lempira note was introduced to market made by a polymer base, 60 million notes were issued.[5]
In celebration of the bicentennial anniversary of Honduras's independence, a new 200 lempira bill was issued.[6] It features 2 scarlet macaws, the national bird of Honduras.[7]
Banknotes in circulation are[8][9]
| Image | New | Value | Color | Dimensions | Obverse | Reverse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
L1 | Red | 156 × 67 mm | Lempira | Copán | |
|
L2 | Purple | Marco Aurelio Soto | Amapala | ||
|
L5 | Gray | Francisco Morazán | Battle of La Trinidad | ||
|
L10 | Brown | José Trinidad Cabañas | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras | ||
|
L20 | Green | Dionisio de Herrera | Presidential palace | ||
| L50 | Blue | Juan Manuel Gálvez | Central Bank of Honduras | |||
|
L100 | Orange | José Cecilio del Valle | Casa Valle | ||
|
|
L200 | Turquoise | 2 Scarlet Macaws | Banco Central de Honduras | ||
| L500 | Violet | Ramón Rosa | San Juancito |
Exchange rates
edit| Current HNL exchange rates | |
|---|---|
| From Google Finance: | AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD INR TWD EUR |
| From Yahoo! Finance: | AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD INR TWD EUR |
| From XE.com: | AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD INR TWD EUR |
| From OANDA: | AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD INR TWD EUR |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "30 million banknotes for Honduras".
- ^ "Currencies Of The World". WorldAtlas. 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
- ^ Unidas, Radio HRN-Del Grupo Emisoras. "La devaluación del lempira no solo perfora las finanzas, analistas explican las repercusiones". Radio HRN - Del Grupo Emisoras Unidas (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-02-05.
- ^ "Banco Central de Honduras, Gobierno de la Republica de Honduras". Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ https://presidencia.gob.hn/press/blog-node/bch-lanza-innovadora-aplicaci%C3%B3n-tecnol%C3%B3gica-para-el-nuevo-billete-de-200-lempiras#:~:text=El%20presidente%20del%20BCH%20destac%C3%B3,Bicentenario%20de%20Independencia%22%2C%20explic%C3%B3 Archived 2021-10-20 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ seguir, Redacción Autor marcado para. "Billete de 200 lempiras viene a facilitar las transacciones en el comercio". www.laprensa.hn (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-10-19.
- ^ Bonilla, Francisco Javier Morazán Matute, Henri López, Mario. "Banco Central de Honduras, Gobierno de la Republica de Honduras". Bch.hn. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Del trueque a la moneda: hitos de la evolución monetaria en Honduras". Diario El Heraldo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-02-03.
External links
edit- The banknotes of Honduras (in English and German)
