Issued to mark Israel's 30th anniversary of independence, this coin was struck during a period of devastating inflation — by 1978, the Israeli pound (lira) was in terminal decline, replaced entirely by the shekel just four years later. The 1,000 lirot denomination, unthinkable a decade earlier, reflects exactly how far the currency had collapsed.
Issued to mark Israel's 30th anniversary of independence, this coin was struck during a period of devastating inflation — by 1978, the Israeli pound (lira) was in terminal decline, replaced entirely by the shekel just four years later. The 1,000 lirot denomination, unthinkable a decade earlier, reflects exactly how far the currency had collapsed.