Malagasy ariary
Encyclopedia
The ariary is the currency of Madagascar
. It is subdivided into 5 iraimbilanja and is one of only two non-decimal currencies currently circulating (the other is the Mauritanian ouguiya
). The names ariary and iraimbilanja derive from the pre-colonial currency, with ariary being the name for a silver dollar
. Iraimbilanja means literally "one iron weight" and was the name of an old coin worth of an ariary.
s. Coins and banknotes were issued denominated in both francs and ariary, with the sub-unit of the ariary, the iraimbilanja, worth of an ariary and therefore equal to the franc. The ariary replaced the franc as the official currency of Madagascar on January 1, 2005.
Coin
s and banknote
s were denominated in both the official francs and the semi-official ariary and iraimbilanja since 1961. On early issues, the franc denomination was the most prominent. However, from 1978, higher value coins were issued denominated only in ariary. In 1993, new 500 ariary-2500 franc note and 5000 ariary-25,000 franc were issued with ariary slightly more prominent. On banknotes issued since July 31, 2003, the ariary denomination is displayed prominently and the franc denomination in small print. Lower denomination coins are also now issued denominated in ariary but with the main design unchanged.
In 1965, 1 franc (1 iraimbilanja) and 2 francs (venty sy kirobo) coins were issued, followed by 5 francs (1 ariary) in 1966 and 10 and 20 francs (2 and 4 ariary) in 1970. The term "venty sy kirobo" derives from names used in the 19th century for and of a silver dollar or 5 francs piece, since += of 5 francs is approximately 2 francs.http://www.wbcc.fsnet.co.uk/af-mad.htm
In 1978, 10 and 20 ariary coins were issued which did not show the denomination in francs. These were followed in 1992 by 5 and 50 ariary coins as well as smaller 10 and 20 ariary. In 2003-2004, 1 and 2 ariary coins not bearing the franc denomination were also introduced.
http://www.banque-centrale.mg/pieces.asp
Coins in circulation are listed below. Bold denotes the most prominent denomination, while italic denotes an equivalence that is not shown on the coin.
The Central Bank of the Malagasy Republic took over the issuance of notes in 1974 and new notes were issued in the same denominations as had been used earlier. The name of the bank changed to the Central Bank of Madagascar in 1983, resulting in a new series of notes which included 10,000 francs (2000 ariary) notes but did not include 50 or 100 francs.
In 1993, notes for 500 ariary and 5000 ariary were introduced which bore the ariary denominations in numerals as well as the franc denominations (2500 and 25,000) in smaller numerals. However, in 1998, these notes were replaced by new issues which only gave the franc denominations in numerals.
In 2003-2004, new notes were introduced in denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10,000 ariary. These notes also bear the franc denominations (500, 1000, 2500, 5000, 10,000, 25,000 and 50,000) in very small numerals.
Banknotes currently in circulation are listed below.http://www.banque-centrale.mg/billet_banq.asp
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. It is subdivided into 5 iraimbilanja and is one of only two non-decimal currencies currently circulating (the other is the Mauritanian ouguiya
Mauritanian ouguiya
The ouguiya , also spelt "ougiya," is the currency of Mauritania. It is the only circulating currency other than the Malagasy ariary whose division units are not based on a power of ten, each ouguiya comprising five khoums .The ouguiya was introduced in 1973, replacing the CFA franc at a rate of 1...
). The names ariary and iraimbilanja derive from the pre-colonial currency, with ariary being the name for a silver dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
. Iraimbilanja means literally "one iron weight" and was the name of an old coin worth of an ariary.
History
The ariary was introduced in 1961. It was equal to 5 Malagasy francMalagasy franc
The franc was the currency of Madagascar until January 1, 2005. It was subdivided into 100 centimes.-History:The first francs to circulate in Madagascar were French francs...
s. Coins and banknotes were issued denominated in both francs and ariary, with the sub-unit of the ariary, the iraimbilanja, worth of an ariary and therefore equal to the franc. The ariary replaced the franc as the official currency of Madagascar on January 1, 2005.
Coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
s and banknote
Banknote
A banknote is a kind of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. In addition to coins, banknotes make up the cash or bearer forms of all modern fiat money...
s were denominated in both the official francs and the semi-official ariary and iraimbilanja since 1961. On early issues, the franc denomination was the most prominent. However, from 1978, higher value coins were issued denominated only in ariary. In 1993, new 500 ariary-2500 franc note and 5000 ariary-25,000 franc were issued with ariary slightly more prominent. On banknotes issued since July 31, 2003, the ariary denomination is displayed prominently and the franc denomination in small print. Lower denomination coins are also now issued denominated in ariary but with the main design unchanged.
Coins
- See also : Coins of MadagascarCoins of Madagascar- Malagasy Republic :- Democratic Republic :- Republic of Madagascar :-External links:**...
In 1965, 1 franc (1 iraimbilanja) and 2 francs (venty sy kirobo) coins were issued, followed by 5 francs (1 ariary) in 1966 and 10 and 20 francs (2 and 4 ariary) in 1970. The term "venty sy kirobo" derives from names used in the 19th century for and of a silver dollar or 5 francs piece, since += of 5 francs is approximately 2 francs.http://www.wbcc.fsnet.co.uk/af-mad.htm
In 1978, 10 and 20 ariary coins were issued which did not show the denomination in francs. These were followed in 1992 by 5 and 50 ariary coins as well as smaller 10 and 20 ariary. In 2003-2004, 1 and 2 ariary coins not bearing the franc denomination were also introduced.
http://www.banque-centrale.mg/pieces.asp
Coins in circulation are listed below. Bold denotes the most prominent denomination, while italic denotes an equivalence that is not shown on the coin.
| Denomination | Name | Value in MGF |
|---|---|---|
| 1/5 ariary | Iraimbilanja | 1 franc |
| 2/5 ariary | Venty sy Kirobo | 2 francs |
| 1 ariary | Ariary | 5 francs |
| 1 ariary | Ariary | 5 francs |
| 2 ariary | Ariary Roa | 10 francs |
| 2 ariary | Ariary Roa | 10 francs |
| 4 ariary | Ariary Efatra | 20 francs |
| 5 ariary | Ariary Dimy | 25 francs |
| 10 ariary | Ariary Folo | 50 francs |
| 20 ariary | Roapolo Ariary | 100 francs |
| 50 ariary | Dimam-Polo Ariary | 250 francs |
Banknotes
In 1961, the Malagasy Institute for Emissions introduced banknotes in denominations of 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 francs. These notes were overprints on earlier notes of the Bank of Madagascar and Comoros, with the denomination in ariary (10, 20, 100, 200 and 1000) included in the overprint. Regular banknotes in the same denominations followed between 1963 and 1969. The denomination in ariary was written only in words, not numerals.The Central Bank of the Malagasy Republic took over the issuance of notes in 1974 and new notes were issued in the same denominations as had been used earlier. The name of the bank changed to the Central Bank of Madagascar in 1983, resulting in a new series of notes which included 10,000 francs (2000 ariary) notes but did not include 50 or 100 francs.
In 1993, notes for 500 ariary and 5000 ariary were introduced which bore the ariary denominations in numerals as well as the franc denominations (2500 and 25,000) in smaller numerals. However, in 1998, these notes were replaced by new issues which only gave the franc denominations in numerals.
In 2003-2004, new notes were introduced in denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10,000 ariary. These notes also bear the franc denominations (500, 1000, 2500, 5000, 10,000, 25,000 and 50,000) in very small numerals.
Banknotes currently in circulation are listed below.http://www.banque-centrale.mg/billet_banq.asp
| Denomination | Year of Issue | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 500 francs (100 ariary) | 1994 | girl; zebu Zebu Zebu , sometimes known as humped cattle, indicus cattle, Cebu or Brahmin cattle are a type of domestic cattle originating in South Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent. They are characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, drooping ears and a large dewlap... s |
| 1000 francs (200 ariary) | 1994 | boy + ships; woman, fishermen |
| 2500 francs (500 ariary) | 1998 | old woman; weaving |
| 5000 francs (1000 ariary) | 1995 | young boy; lemur Lemur Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species... s and birds |
| 100 ariary (500 francs) | 2004 | Ravinala & Tsingy; Antsiranana Bay Antsiranana Bay Antsiranana Bay , the large natural bay along the northeast coast of Madagascar, is considered one of the finest natural harbors in the world... |
| 200 ariary (1000 francs) | 2004 | village gate Architecture of Madagascar The architecture of Madagascar is unique in Africa, bearing strong resemblance to the construction norms and methods of Southern Borneo from which the earliest inhabitants of Madagascar are believed to have emigrated... ; Aloalo Aloalo The aloalo is a funerary pole sculpture that, along with the skulls of slaughtered zebu, is placed on the tombs of important people in the south-western region of Madagascar. These carved posts often tell the story of the person's life and generally take the form of a series of geometric or... |
| 500 ariary (2500 francs) | 2004 | Artisan; zebu Zebu Zebu , sometimes known as humped cattle, indicus cattle, Cebu or Brahmin cattle are a type of domestic cattle originating in South Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent. They are characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, drooping ears and a large dewlap... s |
| 1000 ariary (5000 francs) | 2004 | Endemic animals; Cactus Sisal Sisal Sisal is an agave that yields a stiff fibre traditionally used in making twine, rope and also dartboards. The term may refer either to the plant or the fibre, depending on context... |
| 2000 ariary (10,000 francs) | 2003 | baobabs Adansonia grandidieri Adansonia grandidieri , the biggest and most famous of Madagascar’s six baobabs, is an endangered species in the genus Adansonia. It is endemic to Madagascar. A... ; rice terraces |
| 5000 ariary (25,000 francs) | 2003 | Dhow Dhow Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a... s; beach |
| 10000 ariary (50,000 francs) | 2003 | Le palais d'argent Rova of Antananarivo The Rova of Antananarivo is a royal palace complex in Madagascar that served as the home of the sovereigns of the Kingdom of Imerina in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as the rulers of the Kingdom of Madagascar in the 19th century... ; road building |