Venezuelan bolívar

Venezuelan bolívar

bolívar digital venezolano (Spanish)
1 bolivar coin
ISO 4217
Code	VED (numeric: 926)
Subunit	0.01
Unit
Unit	bolívar
Plural	bolívares
Symbol	Bs.‎ or Bs.D
Nickname	bolo(s), luca(s), real(es)
Denominations
Subunit
1⁄100	céntimo
Banknotes	VED series: Bs. 5, Bs. 10, Bs. 20, Bs. 50, Bs. 100, Bs. 200, Bs. 500
Coins	25, 50 céntimos, Bs. 1
Demographics
User(s)	Venezuela
Issuance
Central bank	Banco Central de Venezuela
Website	www.bcv.org.ve
Valuation
Inflation	114.10% (2022)
Value	Official rate US$1 = Bs.D 36.8507 (September 25, 2024) Parallel rate US$1 = Bs.D 44.39 (September 25, 2024)

The bolívar [boˈliβaɾ] is the official currency of Venezuela. Named after the hero of South American independence Simón Bolívar, it was introduced by President Guzman Blanco via the monetary reform of 1879, before which the venezolano was circulating. Due to its decades-long reliance on silver and gold standards, and then on a peg to the United States dollar, it was long considered among the most stable currencies.

Since 1983, the currency has experienced a prolonged period of high inflation, losing value almost 500-fold against the US dollar in the process. The depreciation became manageable in the mid-2000s, but it still stayed in double digits. It was then, on 1 January 2008, that the hard bolívar (bolívar fuerte in Spanish, sign: Bs.F, code: VEF) replaced the original bolívar (sign: Bs; code: VEB) at a rate of Bs.F 1 to Bs. 1,000 (the abbreviation Bs. is due to the first and the final letters of the plural form of the currency's name, bolívares).

The value of the hard bolívar, pegged to the US dollar, did not stay stable for long despite attempts to institute capital controls. Venezuela entered another period of abnormally high inflation in 2012, which the country has not exited as of April 2023. The central bank stuck to the pegged subsidised exchange rate until January 2018, which was overpriced so people began using parallel exchange rates despite a ban on publishing them. From 2016 to 2019 and again in 2020, the currency experienced hyperinflation for a total period of 38 months.

The rampant inflation prompted another two redenominations. The first occurred in August 2018, when Bs.F 100,000 were exchanged for 1 sovereign bolívar (bolívar soberano in Spanish, sign: Bs.S, code: VES). The second one, dubbed the "nueva expresión monetaria" or new monetary expression, occurred on 1 October 2021, when Bs.S 1,000,000 were exchanged for 1 digital bolívar (bolívar digital in Spanish, sign: Bs.D, code: VED), thus making Bs.D 1 worth Bs. 100,000,000,000,000 (10¹⁴, or Bs. 100 trillion in short scale).

Both Bs.S and Bs.D currencies are officially in circulation, though the economy has undergone extensive currency substitution, so the majority of transactions happen in US dollars, or, to a lesser extent, the Colombian peso.

History

Bolívar

Bolívar

Preceded by: Venezolano Reason: unification of circulating currencies Ratio: 1⁄5 venezolano = 1 bolívar

Currency of Venezuela 31 March 1879 – 31 December 2007

Succeeded by: Hard bolívar Reason: inflation Ratio: 1000 bolívares = 1 hard bolívar

Venezuelan bolívar

bolívar (Spanish)
ISO 4217
Code	VEB
Unit
Plural	bolívares
Symbol	Bs‎
Denominations
Subunit
1⁄100	céntimo
Plural
céntimo	céntimos
Banknotes	Bs. 1,000, Bs. 2,000, Bs. 5,000, Bs. 10,000, Bs. 20,000, Bs. 50,000
Coins	Bs. 10, Bs. 20, Bs. 50, Bs. 100, Bs. 500, Bs. 1,000
Demographics
User(s)	Venezuela
Issuance
Central bank	Banco Central de Venezuela
Website	www.bcv.org.ve
This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete.

The bolívar is named after the hero of South American independence Simón Bolívar. The bolívar was introduced by President Guzman Blanco, who around one hundred years after Simón Bolívar's birth, undertook various projects to honour his contribution to Venezuelan history. The coin appeared in the monetary law of 1879, replacing the short-lived venezolano at a rate of five bolívares to one venezolano. Initially, the bolívar was defined on the silver standard, equal to 4.5 g fine silver, following the principles of the Latin Monetary Union. The monetary law of 1887 made the gold bolívar unlimited legal tender, and the gold standard came into full operation in 1910. Venezuela went off gold in 1930, and in 1934, the bolívar exchange rate was fixed in terms of the US dollar at a rate of Bs. 3.914 = US$1, revalued to Bs. 3.18 = 1 US dollar in 1937, a rate which lasted until 1941. Until 18 February 1983 (now called Viernes Negro, Spanish for Black Friday, by many Venezuelans), the bolívar had been the region's most stable and internationally accepted currency. It then fell prey to high devaluation.

Exchange controls were imposed on February 5, 2003, to limit capital flight. The rate was pegged to the US dollar at a fixed exchange rate of Bs. 1,600 to the dollar.

Hard bolívar

Hard bolívar

Preceded by: Bolívar Reason: inflation Ratio: 1000 bolívares = 1 hard bolívar

Currency of Venezuela 1 January 2008 – 20 August 2018

Succeeded by: Sovereign bolívar Reason: hyperinflation Ratio: 100,000 hard bolívares = 1 sovereign bolívar

Venezuelan hard bolívar

bolívar fuerte (Spanish)
ISO 4217
Code	VEF
Unit
Plural	bolívares fuertes
Symbol	Bs.F or Bs.‎
Nickname	bolo(s), luca(s), real(es)
Denominations
Subunit
1⁄100	céntimo
Banknotes
Freq. used	Bs.F 1,000, Bs.F 2,000, Bs.F 5,000, Bs.F 10,000, Bs.F 20,000, Bs.F 100,000
Rarely used	Bs.F 2, Bs.F 5, Bs.F 10, Bs.F 20, Bs.F 50, Bs.F 100, Bs.F 500
Coins
Rarely used	Bs.F 1, Bs.F 10, Bs.F 50, and Bs.F 100
Demographics
User(s)	Venezuela
Issuance
Central bank	Banco Central de Venezuela
Website	www.bcv.org.ve
Valuation
Inflation	80,000% (2018 est.)
Pegged with	US$1 = BsF. 248,832 (Dicom auction) (see this section for parallel market rate)
This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete. Coins and low-value banknotes were rendered obsolete by hyperinflation.

The government announced on 7 March 2007 that the bolívar would be redenominated at a ratio of 1,000 to 1 on 1 January 2008 and renamed the bolívar fuerte, or hard bolívar in an effort to facilitate the ease of transaction and accounting. The newer name literally means "hard bolívar", as in hard currency, and in reference to an old coin called the peso fuerte worth 10 Spanish reales. The alternate meaning of "strong" was also used by the government in promotional material The official exchange rate is restricted to individuals by CADIVI, which imposes an annual limit on the amount available for travel.

Inflation represented by the time it would take, in years, for money to lose 90% of its value (301-day rolling average, inverted logarithmic scale).

Since the government of Hugo Chávez established strict currency controls in 2003, there have been a series of five currency devaluations, disrupting the economy. On 8 January 2010, the value was changed by the government from the fixed exchange rate of Bs.F 2.15 to Bs.F 2.60 for some imports (certain foods and healthcare goods) and Bs.F 4.30 for other imports like cars, petrochemicals, and electronics. On 4 January 2011, the fixed exchange rate became Bs.F 4.30 for US$1.00 for both sides of the economy. On 13 February 2013 the hard bolívar was devalued to Bs.F 6.30 per US$1 in an attempt to counter budget deficits. On 18 February 2016, President Maduro used his newly granted economic powers to devalue the official exchange rate of the hard bolívar from Bs.F 6.30 per US$1 to Bs.F 10 per US$1, which is a 37% depreciation against the US dollar.

The hard bolívar entered hyperinflation in November 2016.

On January 26, 2018, the government retired the protected and subsidized Bs.F 10 per US$1 exchange rate that was highly overvalued as a result of rampant inflation. On February 5, 2018, the Central Bank of Venezuela announced a 99.6% [sic] devaluation, with the exchange rate going to Bs.F 25,000 per US$. This made the hard bolívar the second-least-valued circulating currency in the world based on the official exchange rate, behind only the Iranian rial, and between September 2017 and August 2018, according to the informal exchange rate, the hard bolívar was the least-valued circulating currency unit in the world.

The official exchange rate stood at Bs.F 248,832 to US$1 as of August 10, 2018, making it the least-valued circulating currency in the world based on official exchange rates.

In June 2018, the government authorized a new exchange rate for buying, but not selling, currency. On August 13, 2018, the rate was Bs.F 4,010,000 to US$1, according to ZOOM Remesas.

Sovereign bolívar

Sovereign bolívar

Preceded by: Hard bolívar Reason: hyperinflation Ratio: 100,000 hard bolívares = 1 sovereign bolívar

Currency of Venezuela 20 August 2018 –

Venezuelan bolívar

bolívar venezolano (Spanish)
ISO 4217
Code	VES (numeric: 928)
Subunit	0.01
Unit
Plural	bolívares
Symbol	Bs. or Bs.S‎
Nickname	bolo(s), luca(s), real(es)
Denominations
Subunit
1⁄100	céntimo
Banknotes	VES series: Bs.S 10,000, Bs.S 20,000, Bs.S 50,000, Bs.S 200,000, Bs.S 500,000, Bs.S 1,000,000
Demographics
User(s)	Venezuela
Issuance
Central bank	Banco Central de Venezuela
Website	www.bcv.org.ve
Valuation
Inflation	4,355-5,713% (2020)

On 22 March 2018, President Nicolás Maduro announced a new monetary reform program, with a planned revaluation of the currency at a ratio of 1,000 to 1. The change was to be made effective from 4 June 2018.

In May 2018, the government required prices to be expressed in both hard bolívares and sovereign bolívares at the then-planned rate of 1,000 to 1. For example, one kilogram of pasta was shown with a price of Bs.F 695,000 and Bs.S 695. Prices expressed in the new currency were rounded to the nearest 50 céntimos as that was expected to be the lowest denomination in circulation at launch. The rounding created difficulties because some items and sales qualities were priced at significantly less than Bs.S 0.50; for example a litre of gasoline and a Caracas Metro ticket typically cost Bs.S 0.06 and Bs.S 0.04, respectively.

President Nicolás Maduro announcing the redenomination of the Venezuelan bolívar on 17 August 2018.

The change in currency was originally scheduled for June 4, 2018. The President delayed the planned June launch date of the sovereign bolívar, citing from Aristides Maza, "the period established to carry out the conversion is not enough". The revaluation was rescheduled to 20 August 2018, and the rate changed to 100,000 to 1, with prices being required to be expressed at the new rate starting 1 August 2018.

On 20 August 2018, the Maduro government launched the new sovereign bolívar currency, with Bs.S 1 worth Bs.F 100,000. New coins in denominations of 50 céntimos and Bs.S 1, and new banknotes in denominations of Bs.S 2, Bs.S 5, Bs.S 10, Bs.S 20, Bs.S 50, Bs.S 100, Bs.S 200 and Bs.S 500 were introduced. Under the country's official fixed exchange rate to the US dollar the new currency was devalued by roughly 95% compared to the old hard bolívar. The day was declared a bank holiday to allow the banks to adjust to the new currency. Initially, during a transition period the sovereign bolívar was to be run alongside the hard bolívar. However, from the start of the transition, on 20 August, hard bolívar notes of Bs.F 500 and less could not be used; only deposited at banks.

Concurrently with the release of the new currency, the minimum wage was raised to Bs.S 1,800 per month, a 33-fold increase, and sales tax increased from 12% to 16%.

Additionally, the sovereign bolívar was supposed to have a fixed exchange rate to the petro cryptocurrency, with a rate of Bs.S 3,600 to one petro; a peg of petro and sovereign bolívar was announced by Maduro as early as August 2018. The petro was supposedly tied to the price of a barrel of oil (about US$60 in August 2018). As of the end of August 2018, there was no evidence that the cryptocurrency was being traded. Petro was regarded by many as a scam. On January 15, 2024, Petro was shut down and any remaining holdings were liquidated.

Following the introduction of the sovereign bolívar, inflation increased from 61,463% on 21 August 2018 to 65,320% on 22 August 2018. By 24 August 2018, the introduction of the sovereign bolívar had not prevented hyperinflation. According to inflation analyst Steve Hanke, between 18 August and 21 August 2018, the inflation rate increased from 48,760% to 65,320%. In October 2021, the country removed six zeroes from its currency while adapting a newer version of the bolivar currency system under a project known as "Digital bolivar".

Digital bolívar

The bolívar digital, lit. "digital bolívar" was introduced on 1 October 2021 at a rate of Bs.S 1,000,000 to 1 digital bolívar. Since its announcement, the Central Bank has used the abbreviation "Bs." (i.e., not "Bs.D") in examples of prices marked in digital bolívares.

The digital bolívar did not replace the sovereign bolívar, since sovereign bolívar banknotes continued to be accepted at a ratio of 1 million to 1. For example, the Bs.S 500,000 banknote is worth 0.50 digital bolívars, an amount which can also be referred to as 50 céntimos of a digital bolívar.

From October 1, 2021 through 27 April 2022 retailers were required to post prices in both sovereign and digital bolívars, By 2024, however it was more common to see prices posted in "REF" (or "Ref", "ref", etc.), an abbreviation for the word referencia, representing a price in U.S. dollars, which customers can pay in digital and/or sovereign bolívars at the current rate of exchange.

Currency black market

The value of one US dollar in Venezuelan hard bolívares (before 20 August 2018) and sovereign bolívares on the parallel (or black) market through time. Vertical lines represent every time the currency has lost 99% of its value, which has happened five times since 2012. The graph shows that as of October 2021, the currency is worth about 46 billion times less than it was worth in August 2012. Since the beginning of the presidential crisis in Venezuela in January 2019 and the relaxation of currency controls on May of that year, the curve has been less steep than previously, meaning that the rate at which the value is lost, inflation, has slowed down.

The black (or parallel) market value of the hard bolívar and the sovereign bolívar has been significantly lower than the fixed exchange rate and other rates set by the Venezuelan government (SICAD, SIMADI, DICOM). In November 2013, it was almost one-tenth that of the official fixed exchange rate of Bs.F 6.30 per US dollar. In September 2014, the currency black market rate for the hard bolívar reached 100 VEF/USD; on 25 February 2015, it went over 200 VEF/USD. on 7 May 2015, it was over 275 VEF/USD and on 22 September 2015, it was over 730 VEF/USD. Venezuela still had the highest inflation rate in the world in July 2015. By 3 February 2016, this rate reached 1,000 VEF/USD. This rate surpassed 4,300 VEF/USD on 10 December 2016. It surpassed 10,000 VEF/USD on 28 July 2017, and on 7 September 2017, the rate surpassed 20,000 VEF/USD for the first time. Inflation accelerated, and on 1 December 2017, it reached 100,000 VEF/USD for the first time ever. The rate surpassed 200,000 VEF/USD on 18 January 2018, then 500,000 VEF/USD on 16 April, 1 million VEF/USD on 30 May, 2 million VEF/USD on 7 June, and 5 million VEF/USD on 16 August.

At the time of redenomination on 20 August 2018, the exchange rate was 59.21 VES/USD. By the end of the month it reached 87 VES/USD. The rate then surpassed 100 VES/USD on 3 October 2018, 1,000 VES/USD on 9 January 2019, 10,000 VES/USD on 19 July, 100,000 VES/USD on 6 April 2020, and reached the 1,000,000 VES/USD on 23 November 2020. According to DolarToday, the parallel exchange rate was 4,146,022 VES/USD as of 30 August 2021.

Exchange rate history

It is illegal to publish the "parallel exchange rate" in Venezuela. One website that has been publishing parallel exchange rates since 2010 is DolarToday, which has also been critical of the Maduro government. This table shows a condensed history of the parallel foreign exchange rate of the Venezuelan bolívar (hard and sovereign) to one United States dollar between 2012 and 2021, according to DolarToday.

Hard bolívar (Bs.F) Bs.F 1 = Bs. 1,000		Sovereign bolívar (Bs.S) Bs.S 1 = Bs.F 100,000
Month Exchange rate August 2012 10 February 2013 20 June 2013 30 September 2013 40 October 2013 50 November 2013 60 January 2014 70 February 2014 80 August 2014 90 September 2014 100 February 2015 200 May 2015 300–400 July 2015 500–600 September 2015 700–800 December 2015 900 February 2016 1,000 October 2016 1,500 November 2016 2,000–4,000	Month Exchange rate May 2017 5,000–6,000 June 2017 7,000–8,000 July 2017 8,000–11,000 August 2017 11,000–18,000 September 2017 18,000–29,000 October 2017 29,000–41,000 November 2017 41,000–97,000 December 2017 103,000–111,000 January 2018 111,000–236,000 February 2018 214,000–228,000 March 2018 213,000–236,000 April 2018 236,000–621,000 May 2018 621,000–1.3 million June 2018 1.4–3.4 million July 2018 3.4–3.6 million August 2018 3.6–5.9 million	Month Exchange rate August 2018 59–87 September 2018 87–98 October 2018 99–240 November 2018 240–410 December 2018 410–730 January 2019 730–3,200 February 2019 2,400–3,700 March 2019 3,400–3,700 April 2019 3,700–6,100 May 2019 5,600–6,300 June 2019 6,300–7,900 July 2019 7,800–13,000 August 2019 13,000–26,000 September 2019 20,000–26,000 October 2019 19,000–26,000 November 2019 21,000–42,000 December 2019 40,000–55,000	Month Exchange rate January 2020 57,300–83,300 February 2020 74,800–77,100 March 2020 71,800–87,400 April 2020 89,200–200,000 May 2020 176,000–206,000 June 195,000–214,000 July 2020 205,000–268,000 August 2020 266,000–345,000 September 2020 346,000–452,000 October 2020 449,000–542,000 November 2020 524,000–950,000 December 2020 940,000–1.2 million January 2021 1.0–1.8 million February 2021 1.7–1.9 million March 2021 1.8–2.1 million April 2021 2.2–2.9 million May 2021 2.8–3.2 million June 2021 3.1–3.3 million July 2021 3.3–4.1 million August 2021 4.1–4.2 million

Coins

Bolívar

Various Venezuelan coins

In 1879, silver coins were introduced in denominations of Bs. 1⁄5, Bs. 1⁄2, Bs. 1, Bs. 2, and Bs. 5, together with gold Bs. 20. Gold Bs. 100 were also issued between 1886 and 1889. In 1894, silver Bs. 1⁄4 coins were introduced, followed by cupro-nickel 5 and 12+1⁄2 céntimos in 1896.

In 1912, production of gold coins ceased, whilst production of the Bs.5 ended in 1936. In 1965, nickel replaced silver in the 25 and 50 céntimos, with the same happening to the 1 and 2 bolívares in 1967. In 1971, cupro-nickel 10 céntimo coins were issued, the 12+1⁄2 céntimos having last been issued in 1958. A nickel Bs. 5 was introduced in 1973. Clad steel (first copper, then nickel and cupro-nickel) was used for the 5 céntimos from 1974. Nickel clad steel was introduced for all denominations from 25 céntimos up to 5 bolívares in 1989.

In 1998, after a period of high inflation, a new coinage was introduced in denominations of Bs. 10, Bs. 20, Bs. 50, Bs. 100 and Bs. 500.

The former coins were:

denomination:	Diameter:	Obverse and reverse:
bs.10	17 mm
bs.20	20 mm
bs.50	23 mm
bs.100	25 mm
bs.500	28,5 mm
bs.1000	24 mm

5-venezolano coin

All the coins had the same design. On the obverse the left profile of the Libertador Simón Bolívar is depicted, along with the inscription "Bolívar Libertador" within a heptagon, symbolizing the seven stars of the flag. On the reverse the coat of arms is depicted, circled by the official name of the country, with the date and the denomination below. In 2001, the reverse design was changed, putting the denomination of the coin at the right of the shield of the coat of arms, surrounded in a semicircle by the official name of the country and the year of its issue below.

Hard bolívar

Coins of the hard bolívar were in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 12+1⁄2, 25, 50 céntimos, and Bs.F 1. They were quickly rendered obsolete by high inflation. It may be noticed that there was a 12+1⁄2-céntimo coin and a 1-céntimo coin, but no 1⁄2-céntimo coin. Therefore, giving correct change for a purchase of, say, 4+1⁄2 céntimos would require using a 12+1⁄2-céntimo coin and getting 8 céntimos back.

2008 Series
Denomination	Shape	Composition	Weight	Diameter	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	Obverse image	Reverse image
1 céntimo	Round	Copper-plated steel	1.36 g	15 mm	Reeded	Denomination of the coin, the eight stars and waves representing the patterns of the national flag	Coat of arms of Venezuela and the name of the country of emission
5 céntimos	Round	Copper-plated steel	2.03 g	17 mm	Plain	Denomination of the coin, the eight stars and waves representing the patterns of the national flag	Coat of arms of Venezuela and the name of the country of emission
10 céntimos	Round	Nickel-plated steel	2.62 g	18 mm	Reeded	Denomination of the coin, the eight stars and waves representing the patterns of the national flag	Coat of arms of Venezuela and the name of the country of emission
12+1⁄2 céntimos	Round	Nickel-plated steel	3.93 g	23 mm	Plain	Denomination of the coin, the eight stars of the national flag and two palm branches	Coat of arms of Venezuela and the name of the country of emission
25 céntimos	Round	Nickel-plated steel	3.86 g	20 mm	Plain	Denomination of the coin, the eight stars and waves representing the patterns of the national flag	Coat of arms of Venezuela and the name of the country of emission
50 céntimos	Round	Nickel-plated steel	4.3 g	22 mm	Segmented (Plain and Reeded edges)	Denomination of the coin, the eight stars and waves representing the patterns of the national flag	Coat of arms of Venezuela and the name of the country of emission
Bs.F 1	Round	Copper-Nickel center, Brass ring	8.04 g	24 mm	Smooth 'BCV1'	Effigy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, waves representing the patterns of the national flag	Denomination of the coin, the eight stars and the waves representing the patterns of the national flag, the Coat of arms of Venezuela and the name of the country of emission

In December 2016, it was announced that coins of Bs.F 10, Bs.F 50, and Bs.F 100 would enter circulation. These three coins would replace the banknotes of the same denominations.

2016 Series
Denomination	Shape	Composition	Weight	Diameter	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	Obverse & Reverse image
10 bolívares	Round	Nickel-plated steel	3.5 g	21.3 mm	Smooth	Effigy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, waves representing the patterns of the national flag	Coat of arms of Venezuela and the name of the country of emission
50 bolívares	Round	Nickel-plated steel	5.3 g	23.5 mm	Smooth	Effigy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, waves representing the patterns of the national flag	Coat of arms of Venezuela and the name of the country of emission
100 bolívares	Round	Nickel-plated steel	6.5 g	25.5 mm	Segmented (Plain and Reeded edges)	Effigy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, waves representing the patterns of the national flag	Coat of arms of Venezuela and the name of the country of emission

Sovereign bolívar

Sovereign bolívar coins were announced to be produced in denominations of 50 céntimos and Bs.S 1 (Bs.F 50,000 and Bs.F 100,000 respectively). These two coins were worthless by September 2019.

2018 Series
Denomination	Shape	Composition	Diameter	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	Obverse image	Reverse image
50 céntimos	Round	Nickel-plated steel	22 mm	Decorated	Effigy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, the eight stars of the national flag	Coat of arms of Venezuela, waves representing the patterns of the national flag and the name of the country of emission
1 bolívar	Round	Copper-Nickel center, Brass ring	24 mm	-	Effigy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, the eight stars of the national flag	Coat of arms of Venezuela, waves representing the patterns of the national flag and the name of the country of emission

Digital bolívar

Coins of the Digital bolívar were issued on October 1, 2021 in denominations of 25 and 50 céntimos and 1 bolívar. The coins were introduced along with the redenomination of the currency from the Sovereign bolívar to the Digital bolívar.

2021 Series
Denomination	Shape	Composition	Diameter	Edge	Obverse	Reverse	Obverse image	Reverse image
25 céntimos	Round	Nickel-plated steel	21.35 mm	Reeded	Effigy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar and eight stars from the national flag	Denomination and three bands representing the flag of Venezuela
50 céntimos	Round	Nickel-plated steel	23.5 mm	Segmented (Plain and Reeded sections)	Effigy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar and eight stars from the national flag	Denomination and three bands representing the flag of Venezuela
1 bolívar	Round	Nickel-plated steel	25.4 mm	Plain/Smooth	Effigy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar and eight stars from the national flag	Denomination and three bands representing the flag of Venezuela

Banknotes

Bolívar

In 1940, the Banco Central de Venezuela began issuing paper money, introducing denominations of Bs. 10, Bs. 20, Bs. 50, Bs. 100 and Bs. 500. Bs. 5 notes were issued between 1966 and 1974, when they were replaced by coins. In 1989, notes for Bs. 1, Bs. 2 and Bs. 5 were issued.

As inflation took hold, higher denominations of banknotes started being introduced: Bs. 1,000 in 1991, Bs. 2,000 and Bs. 5,000 in 1994, and Bs. 10,000, Bs. 20,000 and Bs. 50,000 in 1998. The first Bs. 20,000 banknotes were made in a green color similar to the one of the Bs. 2,000 banknotes, which caused confusion, and new banknotes were made in a new olive green color.

Starting from 2000, banknotes ranging from Bs. 5,000 to Bs. 50,000 were renamed to REPÚBLICA BOLIVARIANA DE VENEZUELA instead of BANCO CENTRAL DE VENEZUELA on the obverse, after the 1999 constitution was adopted. Moreover, banknotes of Bs. 10,000, Bs. 20,000 and Bs. 50,000 were updated in April 2006 after the National Assembly approved changes to the coat of arms, which were made official on March 12, 2006.

The following is a list of former Venezuelan bolívar banknotes:

Pre-1998 series banknotes (from various series)
Image		Denomination	Emission Year	Obverse	Reverse
		5 bolívares	1968	Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Miranda	National Pantheon of Venezuela
		10 bolívares	1968	Simón Bolívar and Antonio Jose de Sucre	Altar de la Patria, Campo de Carabobo
		20 bolívares	1971	José Antonio Páez	Altar de la Patria, Campo de Carabobo
		50 bolívares	1971	Andrés Bello	Palace of the Academies
		100 bolívares	1971	Simón Bolívar	Federal Legislative Palace
		500 bolívares	1981	Simón Bolívar	A branch of orchids
		1,000 bolívares	1991	Simón Bolívar	Signing of the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence
		2,000 bolívares	1994	Antonio José de Sucre	The Battle of Junín
		5,000 bolívares	1994	Simón Bolívar and his coat of arms	A reproduction of the painting El 19 de Abril de 1810 by Juan Lovera
1998 Series
[1]	[2]	1,000 bolívares	1998	Simón Bolívar	A picture of National Pantheon in Caracas
[3]	[4]	2,000 bolívares	1998	Andrés Bello	A picture of frailejones and a view of the Pico Bolívar
[5]	[6]	10,000 bolívares	1998	Simón Bolívar	Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex, Caracas
[7]	[8]	20,000 bolívares	1998	Simón Rodríguez and the Angel Falls in the background	A blue-and-yellow macaw and the Angel Falls
[9]	[10]	50,000 bolívares	1998	José María Vargas	Central University of Venezuela, Caracas
2000 Series "REPÚBLICA BOLIVARIANA DE VENEZUELA"
[11]	[12]	5,000 bolívares	2000	Francisco de Miranda	Picture of two angelfishes and a panorama of the Guri Dam.
[13]	[14]	10,000 bolívares	2000	Antonio José de Sucre	A Marpesia petreus butterfly and the Supreme Tribunal of Justice
[15]	[16]	20,000 bolívares	2001	Simón Rodríguez and the Angel Falls in the background	A blue-and-yellow macaw and the Angel Falls
[17]	[18]	50,000 bolívares	2005	José María Vargas	Central University of Venezuela, Caracas

Hard bolívar (bolívar fuerte, Bs.F, VEF)

2008–2016 ("2007")

New banknotes of the series 2007–2015 with values of Bs.F 2 to Bs.F 100 were issued from 20 March 2007 until 5 November 2015 and became legal tender from 1 January 2008 to 20 August 2018. The greater the values, the longer re-issuing occurred. Only the Bs.F 50 and Bs.F 100 notes were re-issued in November 2015.

• Bs.F 2: March 20, 2007 to October 29, 2013
• Bs.F 5: March 20, 2007 to August 19, 2014
• Bs.F 10: March 20, 2007 to August 19, 2014
• Bs.F 20: March 20, 2007 to August 19, 2014
• Bs.F 50: March 20, 2007 to November 5, 2015
• Bs.F 100: March 20, 2007 to November 5, 2015

The obverse side is portrait-oriented, with the lower half carrying a portrait, while the reverse side is landscape-oriented, the left two thirds showing an animal in front of its habitat.

Re-issues retain the value-specific motifs, but the printing quality is different. The notes are printed by Casa de la Moneda Venezuela in Venezuela.

2008 Series - Hard Bolívars (Bs.F, VEF)
Image	Denomi- nation in Bs.F	Value in Bs. (1879-2007)	Approx. value in USD at launch (2008)	Value in USD at demonetization August 2018	Emission Year	Size (mm)	Obverse	Reverse
	Bs.F 2	2,000	$0.93	$0.00000033261 1/6,018,869th of $1	2007	156 × 69	Francisco de Miranda	Orinoco River Dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) with Coro Dunes in background; Gusano flower
	Bs.F 5	5,000	$2.33	$0.0000008315 1/1,202,846th of $1	2007		Pedro Camejo	Giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) with the Llanos plains in the background
	Bs.F 10	10,000	$4.66	$0.000001663 1/601,885th of $1	2007		Cacique Guaicaipuro	American harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) with the Ucaima Falls at Canaima National Park in the background
	Bs.F 20	20,000	$9.32	$0.000003326 1/300,942th of $1	2007		Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi	Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) with Macanao Mountain in the background
	Bs.F 50	50,000	$23.30	$0.000008315 1/120,285th of $1	2007		Simón Rodríguez	Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatos) with Laguna Santo Cristo at Sierra Nevada National Park in the background
	Bs.F 100	100,000	$46.60	$0.00001663 1/60,216th of $1	2007		Simón Bolívar	Red siskin (Carduelis cucullata) with Cerro El Ávila at El Ávila National Park in the background

2016–17

Venezuelans lining up at the Banco de Venezuela branch in Chacao to deposit the Bs.F 100 note after President Maduro withdrew it from circulation.

High inflation, which was a part of Venezuela's economic collapse, caused the hard bolívar's value to plummet. The Bs.F 2 and Bs.F 5 notes were no longer found in circulation due to the hyperinflation, but remained legal tender. By December 2016, the Bs.F 100 note, the largest denomination, was only worth about US$0.23 on the black market.

On 7 December 2016, a new series of banknotes (recolors of the previous notes) in denominations of Bs.F 500, Bs.F 1,000, Bs.F 2,000, Bs.F 5,000, Bs.F 10,000, and Bs.F 20,000 were unveiled to the Venezuelan public. Days later on 11 December, President Nicolás Maduro who had been ruling by decree wrote into law that the Bs.F 100 would be pulled from circulation within 72 hours because "mafias" were allegedly storing those particular notes to drive inflation. With more than 6 billion Bs.F 100 notes issued consisting of 46% of Venezuela's issued currency, Maduro enacted an exchange for Venezuelan citizens to transfer all Bs.F 100 notes for Bs.F 100 coins while also blocking international travel to prevent the return of the bolívares that were supposedly stockpiled. The government justified the move claiming that the United States was working with crime syndicates to spirit away Venezuela's paper money to warehouses in Europe to cause the fall of the government. The government was thwarting this threat by withdrawing the notes from circulation. On 14 February 2017, Paraguayan authorities uncovered a 30-tonne stash of Bs.F 50 and Bs.F 100 notes totaling Bs.F 1.5 billion on its Brazilian border that had not yet been circulated. According to a United States Department of Defense adviser linked to The Pentagon, the Bs.F 1.5 billion was printed by Venezuela and destined for Bolivia, since unlike the implied exchange rate of thousands of hard bolívares equaling one United States dollar, the exchange rate was approximately 10 hard bolívares per dollar, making the value of the stash 419 times stronger, from US$358,000 to US$150 million. The Pentagon adviser further stated that the Venezuelan government tried to send the newly printed notes to be exchanged by the Bolivian government so Bolivia could pay 20% of its debt to Venezuela, and so Venezuela could use the US dollars for its own disposal.

On 3 November 2017, the Banco Central de Venezuela issued a Bs.F 100,000 note which is similar to the Bs.F 100 note of the 2007 series and the Bs.F 20,000 of the 2016 series, but with the denomination spelled out in full instead of adding an additional three zeros to the number 100. This denomination was worth US$2.42 using the unofficial exchange rate at the date of its release.

New banknotes of the 2016–17 series with values of Bs.F 500 to Bs.F 100,000 were issued from 7 December 2016 until 20 August 2018, the day when the sovereign bolívar was introduced. Notes from Bs.F 5,000 to Bs.F 100,000 were recently re-issued in December 2017.

• Bs.F 500: August 18, 2016 to March 23, 2017
• Bs.F 1,000: August 18, 2016 to March 23, 2017
• Bs.F 2,000: August 18, 2016
• Bs.F 5,000: August 18, 2016 to December 13, 2017
• Bs.F 10,000: August 18, 2016 to December 13, 2017
• Bs.F 20,000: August 18, 2016 to December 13, 2017
• Bs.F 100,000: September 7, 2017 to December 13, 2017,

Maduro announced that after the currency redenomination was carried out on 20 August 2018, these old denominations with a face value of 1,000 hard bolívares or higher would circulate in parallel with the new series of sovereign bolívar notes for a limited time. Banknotes with a face value below BsF. 1,000 were withdrawn from circulation and ceased to be legal tender on 20 August 2018. They had to be deposited in local banks.

2016-17 Series - Sovereign Bolívars (Bs.F, VEF)
Denomination in Bs.F	Value in Bs.S 20 Aug - 4 Dec 2018	Emission Year	Obverse	Reverse
Bs.F 500	Bs.S 0.005	2016	Francisco de Miranda	Orinoco River Dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) with Coro Dunes in background; Gusano flower
Bs.F 1,000	Bs.S 0.01	2016	Pedro Camejo	Giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) with the Llanos plains in the background
Bs.F 2,000	Bs.S 0.02	2016	Cacique Guaicaipuro	American harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) with the Ucaima Falls at Canaima National Park in the background
Bs.F 5,000	Bs.S 0.05	2016	Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi	Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) with Macanao Mountain in the background
Bs.F 10,000	Bs.S 0.10	2016	Simón Rodríguez	Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatos) with Laguna Santo Cristo at Sierra Nevada National Park in the background
Bs.F 20,000	Bs.S 0.20	2016	Simón Bolívar	Red siskin (Carduelis cucullata) with Cerro El Ávila at El Ávila National Park in the background
Bs.F 100,000	Bs.S 1	2017	Simón Bolívar	Red siskin (Carduelis cucullata) with Cerro El Ávila at El Ávila National Park in the background

2018

By May 2018, the hard bolívar's banknotes represented very little value and they had become in short supply. Weighing scales could no longer convert mass to price and receipts could no longer fit the numbers on their paper.

In June 2018, seven months after its release, the value of the Bs.F 100,000 note (largest denomination), had its value reduced by 98%, from US$2.42 (in November 2017) to US$0.05, as a result of increasing hyperinflation.

The lower denomination hard bolívar banknotes (up to Bs.F 500) were demonetized on 20 August 2018; with the introduction of the sovereign bolívar. Higher denominations (Bs.F 1,000 and above) remained legal tender during a transition period. On 30 November 2018, it was announced that the remaining denominations of the old currency will be withdrawn from circulation and cease to be legal tender on 5 December 2018.

Sovereign bolívar

2018

On 22 March 2018, with a declared state of emergency, a redenomination of the currency was announced. The conversion from hard bolívar to sovereign bolívar banknotes officially occurred on 20 August 2018, with new denominations of Bs.S 2, Bs.S 5, Bs.S 10, Bs.S 20, Bs.S 50, Bs.S 100, Bs.S 200, and Bs.S 500. Four months after entry into circulation, shops and state banks began refusing the Bs.S 2, as its value had significantly declined since the redenomination. By November 2019, except for the Bs.S 500, all notes issued in 2018 were worthless.

2018 Series - Sovereign Bolívars (Bs.S, VES)
Denomination in Bs.S	Value in Bs.F	Emission Year	Obverse	Reverse
2 bolívares	200,000	2018	Josefa Camejo	Yellow-crowned amazon parrot (Amazona ochrocephala) with the Morrocoy National Park in the background
5 bolívares	500,000	2018	José Felix Ribas (portrait by Martín Tovar y Tovar)	Atelopus cruciger with the Henri Pittier National Park in the background
10 bolívares	1,000,000	2018	Rafael Urdaneta	Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) with the Catatumbo lightning in the background
20 bolívares	2,000,000	2018	Simón Rodríguez	Jaguar (Panthera onca) with the Waraira Repano National Park in the background
50 bolívares	5,000,000	2018	Antonio José de Sucre	Cunaguaro (Leopardus tigrinus) with the Península de Paria National Park in the background
100 bolívares	10,000,000	2018	Ezequiel Zamora	Brown spider monkey (Ateles hybridus) with the Guatopo National Park in the background
200 bolívares	20,000,000	2018	Francisco de Miranda	Military macaw (Ara militaris) with the Waraira Repano National Park in the background
500 bolívares	50,000,000	2018	Simón Bolívar	Venezuelan troupial (Icterus icterus) with the Macarao National Park in the background

2019

Further inflation since the soberano redenomination resulted in the creation of Bs.S 10,000, Bs.S 20,000 and Bs.S 50,000 banknotes in June 2019. Not mentioning inflation, the Central Bank of Venezuela said the introduction of the new banknotes would "complement and optimize" the monetary system and that their purpose was to make payment systems "more efficient". On 23 April 2020, the exchange rate per xe.com was US$1 = 144,697.34 VES; the following day, the rate slid to US$1 = Bs.S 171,140.42.

Banknotes with a narrow segmented security thread were printed by Goznak, those with a wider one were printed elsewhere.

Banknotes of Bs. 10,000, Bs. 20,000, Bs. 50,000, and Bs. 200,000 of the sovereign bolívar will be withdrawn from circulation and cease being legal tender on 25 September 2024.

2019 Series - Sovereign Bolívars (Bs.S, VES)
Image	Denomination in Bs.S	Value in Bs.D	Emission Year	Obverse	Reverse	Valid until
	10,000 bolívares	0.01	2019	Simón Bolívar	"Mausoleum of the Liberator" Simón Bolívar	25 September 2024
	20,000 bolívares	0.02	2019	Simón Bolívar	"Mausoleum of the Liberator" Simón Bolívar	25 September 2024
	50,000 bolívares	0.05	2019	Simón Bolívar	"Mausoleum of the Liberator" Simón Bolívar	25 September 2024

2020

As of December 2020, the highest denomination banknote (Bs.S 50,000) was worth less than US$0.05 and the minimum wage is Bs.S 1,200,000 (about US$1) per month. By September 2020, all sovereign bolivar banknotes (Bs.S 2 to Bs.S 500) issued on 20 August 2018 were deemed worthless. Venezuelan officials are planning a new Bs.S 100,000 note. Meanwhile, as of 16 December 2020, the exchange rate was over 1 million bolivares to one US dollar.

2021

On 5 March 2021, the Central Bank of Venezuela introduced 3 new denominations: Bs.S 200,000, Bs.S 500,000 and Bs.S 1,000,000 which were made available to the general public on 8 March 2021. The Bs.S 1,000,000 note was only worth US$0.52 at the time of the announcement.

By late May 2021 the exchange rate had risen to over 3 million sovereign bolívares to one US dollar.

According to a July 2021 Bloomberg article, Venezuela plans to redenominate the bolívar at a ratio of 1,000,000:1 in August 2021, effectively removing six zeros from the denominations. The current largest denomination banknote is 1,000,000 bolívares, expressed on the note with a predominant 1 followed by the descriptive millón de bolívares. It is therefore likely that the bank intends to retain the bolívar currency name while reusing the existing note designs.

2021 Series - Sovereign Bolívars (Bs.S, VES)
Image	Denomination in Bs.S	Value in Bs.D	Emission Year	Obverse	Reverse	Valid until
	200,000 bolívares	0.20	2020	Simón Bolívar	"Mausoleum of the Liberator" Simón Bolívar	25 September 2024
	500,000 bolívares	0.50	2020	Simón Bolívar	"Mausoleum of the Liberator" Simón Bolívar	current
	1,000,000 bolívares	1.00	2020	Simón Bolívar	Entrance to the Monument to the Motherland on Carabobo Fields; Battle of Carabobo	current

Digital bolívar

Banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 digital bolívares were introduced in 2021, all bearing similar motifs but different colors.

In August 2024, banknotes of 200 and 500 bolívares were introduced.

2021 Series - Digital Bolívars (VED)
Image	Denomination	Emission Year	Color	Obverse	Reverse
	5 bolívares	2021	brown	Simón Bolívar	Entrance to the Monument to the Motherland on Carabobo Fields; Battle of Carabobo
	10 bolívares		purple
	20 bolívares		orange
	50 bolívares		green
	100 bolívares		red-violet
	200 bolívares	2024	purple/yellow	Three portraits of Simón Bolívar	Rafael Urdaneta bridge at Tablazo Strait outlet of Lake Maracaibo; Battle of Lake Maracaibo
	500 bolívares		yellow/green

Current VED exchange rates
From Google Finance:	AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD INR EUR JPY
From Yahoo! Finance:	AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD INR EUR JPY
From XE.com:	AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD INR EUR JPY
From OANDA:	AUD CAD CHF CNY EUR GBP HKD JPY USD INR EUR JPY

See also

• Economy of Venezuela
• Hyperinflation in Venezuela
• SUCRE (currency)

Bibliography

• Krause, Chester L.; Clifford Mishler (1991). Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1801–1991 (18th ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 0873411501.
• Pick, Albert (1994). Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: General Issues. Colin R. Bruce II and Neil Shafer (editors) (7th ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-207-9.

External links

• Current Legal Banknotes Venezuela
• Banknotes of Venezuela Gallery
• Numismatic Catalog of Venezuela
• History of Venezuelan Currency (in Spanish)
• Currency Reconversion Calculator Bolívar Soberano to Bolívar Digital