Algerian dinar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Algerian dinar
ISO 4217 Code	DZD
User(s)	Algeria  Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Inflation	9.27%
Source	The World Factbook, 2019 est.
Subunit
1⁄100	centime (defunct)
Symbol	د.ج
Coins
Freq. used	5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 DA
Rarely used	1, 2 DA
Banknotes
Freq. used	200, 500, 1000 DA
Rarely used	100, 2000 DA

The dinar (Arabic: دينار جزائري, Dīnār Ǧazāʾirī; sign: DA; code: DZD) is the official money of Algeria. It is divided into 100 smaller units called centimes. However, centimes are not really used anymore because they are worth very little.

What's in a Name?

The name "dinar" comes from an old Roman coin called the denarius. The word santīm (for centime) comes from the French word "centime". This is because Algeria was under French rule from 1830 until 1962.

A Brief History

The Dinar was first used on April 1, 1964. It took the place of the Algerian new franc. One Dinar was worth the same as one new franc.

How Much is a Dinar Worth?

The Bank of Algeria sets the official exchange rate. This means how much the Dinar is worth compared to other currencies. For example, about 134 Algerian Dinars are equal to 1 US dollar.

Talking About Money in Algeria

People in Algeria often use old terms when talking about prices. Instead of saying "dinar," they might say "franc" (which means one hundredth of a dinar, like a centime). They also use "doro," which is one twentieth of a dinar.

• In traditional markets, like a vegetable market, prices are often shown in "francs."
• In modern shops, prices are shown in "dinars," but people still use "franc" when they speak.
• For example, a price of 100 dinars might be said as "ten thousand" (عشر الاف) in everyday talk.

Coins of Algeria

Early Coins

In 1964, Algeria introduced its first Dinar coins. These included:

• 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 centimes
• 1 dinar

The smaller centime coins (1, 2, 5) were made of aluminum. The 10, 20, and 50 centimes were made of a mix of aluminum and bronze. The 1 dinar coin was made of copper-nickel. The front of the coins showed the emblem of Algeria. The back showed their value in Arabic numbers.

Newer Coins

In 1992, a new set of coins came out. These included:

• 1⁄4, 1⁄2, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 dinars

In 2012, a special 200 dinar coin was made. It was created to celebrate Algeria's 50th year of independence. The 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 dinar coins are "bimetallic," meaning they are made of two different metals.

Coins in Use Today

Today, coins of 5 dinars and higher are commonly used. Because of inflation (when money buys less), the centime and smaller dinar coins (1 and 2 dinars) are rarely used. Prices are usually rounded to the nearest 5 dinars.

Banknotes of Algeria

First Series of Banknotes

The first Dinar banknotes were printed in 1964. They came in values of:

• 5 dinars
• 10 dinars
• 50 dinars
• 100 dinars

Later, in 1970, 500 dinar banknotes were added. In 1992, 1000 dinar banknotes were introduced.

Later Banknote Series

Algeria has continued to issue new series of banknotes. Here are some examples:

Third series
Image		Value	Main Colour	What's on the Note?		Date of
Front	Back			Front	Back	printing	issue
		10 DA	Green	Diesel passenger train	Mountain village	2 December 1983
		20 DA	Red	Old jar (amphora) and arch	Handcrafts and tower	2 January 1983
		50 DA	Green	Shepherd with sheep	Farmers on a tractor	1 November 1977
		100 DA	Blue	Village with tall minarets	Man working with plants	1 November 1981 8 June 1982
		200 DA	Brown	Place of the Martyrs in Algiers	Administration Tower of Constantine 1 University, a bridge in Constantine	23 March 1983
Fourth series
		100 DA	Blue	Arab horse riders with swords, Algerian navy in battle	Battle of El Harrach (1775) victory	21 May 1992	1996
		200 DA	Reddish Brown	Islamic designs, mosque, olive and fig branches	Traditional Koranic school
		500 DA	Violet and pink	Battle with elephants between Numidians and Romans	Romans fighting, ancient ruins in Tipaza, hot waterfall in Hammam Debagh	21 May 1992 10 June 1998	1996 2000
		500 DA	Violet and pink	Globe, Alcomsat-1 (Algeria's first satellite)	Satellite dishes, map of Algeria, bridge	1 November 2018 2018	2018 2018
		1000 DA	Red and brown	Ancient paintings from Tassili n'Ajjer	More paintings from Tassili, and the Hoggar mountains	21 May 1992 10 June 1998	1995 2000
		1000 DA	Blue and Red	Grand mosque of Algiers	Loom, teapot	1 December 2018 2018	2018 2018
		2000 DA	Purple and green	University professor, satellite, DNA, researchers in a lab	Wheat, palm tree, water, city buildings, olive tree	24 January 2011 2011	2011 2011
		2000 DA	Red, blue, and green	Historical leaders of the FLN; Mountains	Royal Mausoleum of Batna	5 July 2020 2020	2021 2021
		2000 DA	green	Martyrs' Memorial, Algiers; map of Arab countries	Tassili N'Ajjer National Park; Great Mosque of Algiers	2022	November 2022

The 100 dinar banknote is slowly being replaced by coins. Banknotes of 200, 500, and 1000 dinars are commonly used. Some 500 and 1000 dinar notes from 1998 also have a special shiny strip called a hologram on the front.

See Also

In Spanish: Dinar argelino para niños

• Economy of Algeria
• Tunisian dinar
• Libyan dinar

Images for kids

• 

  2 centimes, minted in 1964

• 

  5 centimes, minted in 1974

• 

  10 centimes, minted in 1984, a palm tree

• 

  20 centimes, minted in 1972, an overflowing cornucopia depicting the theme of agricultural revolution

• 

  20 centimes, minted in 1975, a ram

• 

  50 centimes, minted in 1975, "The 30th remembering" in Arabic and commemorating the French Algerian Clash

• 

  1 dinar, minted in 1972, wheat, two hands (peace), and a tractor in foreground

• 

  5 dinar, minted in 1972, Wheat and a petroleum-extractor in the background and commemorating the 10th anniversary of independence

• 

  5 dinar, minted in 1974, an Algerian soldier and commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Revolution

• 

  10 dinar, minted since 1979, "Bank of Algeria" in Arabic

• 

  Current 20 and 50 dinar and obsolete 5 and 10 dinar coins