Money

Libya is very much still a cash society; paying for everything on credit or debit card is not really done here, and neither is paying by cheque as far as I can tell (but then, we don't have a bank account here, so don't have a cheque book either). ATMs are proliferating, but issue 10-dinar notes, which makes you feel extremely rich when you have even 10 wedged into your wallet (the maximum an ATM dispenses is $400, though often they have run out of money and can't issue much).


Here's a photo of the notes. There's a nice new 10-dinar note, that has a picture of a key Libyan figure in resistance against the Italians (tomorrow is 'Evacuation of the Italian Force' Day, all international communications and flights will be shut down). Then an old 5-dinar note, with the new one on top so you can see how big they used to be. A 1-dinar note, and one on top that's been through the wringer. Mr G's on the 1-dinar note.

Up top is a half-dinar and quarter-dinar note, very handy for the bakeries where you have to buy 5 French sticks to be even able to pay a quarter note. There are 20-dinar notes, but I don't see them much. Haven't seen anything bigger than that.


Here's a photo of the grand total of 3, count them, 3, coins that I've gotten in change over the last eight months (all from bakeries, for buying less than 5 rolls). There's a 50-dirham coin (there's 1000 dirhams in a dinar, but it's pretty much equal to 5c - they ask for 25 in the bakery, not 250), 100-dirham coin (10c), and actually a half-dinar (500 dirham; 50c) coin, which must be a pretty new innovation since they don't seem to be in common currency yet.


And this is a photo of the new bank (I had a better photo but now I can't find it), which opened a little while ago and they cleaned up all the road and the approaches to it for Mr G to come and visit/open it. I think this post - new notes, new coins, new bank - has given some idea of how much Libya has changed and is changing. It's been amazing how many new stores and restuarants have opened in just the last few months.