Sahrawi peseta
| البيزيتا الصحراوي (Arabic) Peseta Saharaui (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
| Unit | |
| Symbol | ₧ (rare, see Spanish peseta) / Ptas. |
| Denominations | |
| Subunit | |
| 1/100 | céntimo |
| Coins | 1, 2, 5, 50, 100, 200, 500 pesetas |
| Demographics | |
| User(s) |  Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic |
| Issuance | |
| Central bank | Polisario Front |
| Valuation | |
| Inflation | NA% |
| Source | The World Factbook. |
| Pegged with | Euro (166.386 pesetas = €1) |
The Sahrawi peseta (Arabic: البيزيتا الصحراوي, Spanish: Peseta Saharaui) is the currency of the partially recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. It is divided in 100 céntimos, although coins with this denomination have never been minted, nor have banknotes been printed. The official international currency code is EHP.[1]
The first Sahrawi pesetas were minted in 1990,[1] but they were not adopted as the national coin of Western Sahara until 1997. As this territory is mostly controlled by Morocco, the circulating currency in that part of the country is the Moroccan dirham, with Algerian dinars and Mauritanian ouguiyas circulating alongside the Sahrawi peseta in the Sahrawi refugee camps and the SADR-controlled part of Western Sahara.
As it is not an official currency and not circulating, the exchange rate is not really realistic. Despite this, the Sahrawi peseta was pegged at par to the Spanish peseta[1] and, when the latter was phased out for the euro, the rate became €1 for 166.386 Pts.
Coins
Non-commemorative coins are supposedly designated for circulation. They are made from cupronickel. The denominations are: 1, 2, 5, 50, 100, 200 and 500 pesetas.
| Denomination | Year | Metal | Diameter(mm.) | Weight(gr.) | Obverse | Reverse | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Peseta | 1992 | Cu+Ni | 17.00 | 2.99 | 
| ||
| 2 Pesetas | 1992 | Cu+Ni | 20.00 | 3.51 | 
| ||
| 5 Pesetas | 1992 | Cu+Ni | 21.00 | 
| |||
| 50 Pesetas | 1990 | Cu+Ni | 24.40 | 6.4 |
There have also been commemorative emissions in copper, silver and gold, as some of those shown here:
-
Copper 100 pesetas. Prehistoric Animals (1993)
-
Gold 40,000 pesetas. 15th Anniversary of diplomatic relations with Venezuela (1997)
See also
References
- ^ a b c San Martín, Pablo (2010). Western Sahara: The Refugee Nation. University of Wales Press. p. 193. ISBN 9781783161188.
The first Saharawi pesetas were coined in 1990, with an equivalence of 1:1 with the Spanish peseta. Although the Saharawi peseta has not been officially recognized, it has already been assigned an ISO 4217 international currency code: EHP.